Method and apparatus for irradiation of plants using light emitting diodes

Abstract

A method for using LEDs to supplement natural light in a greenhouse and a support structure for attaching LEDs in a greenhouse so that the plants receive substantially even light distribution from the LEDs and minimal natural light is blocked by the lighting system. A narrow attachment rail is used to suspend a strip of LEDs from the frame structure of the greenhouse.

1 - 54 . (canceled)  
   
   
       55 . A greenhouse for growing plants, comprising: 
 a greenhouse frame;    a support rail that supports at least one light element, said support rail is attached to said greenhouse frame; and    at least one LED coupled to said at least one light element, said at least one LED emits light used to grow one or more plants.    
   
   
       56 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 55 , further including at least one side that is transmissive to natural light, wherein said light emitted by said at least one LED supplements said natural light received by said one or more plants.  
   
   
       57 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 56 , wherein said light emitted by said at least one LED includes light energy with high frequency wavelengths.  
   
   
       58 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 57 , wherein said high frequency wavelengths are in a range from about 400 nanometers to about 500 nanometers.  
   
   
       59 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 55  further including at least one artificial light source that emits artificial light that affects said growth of said one or more plants, wherein said light emitted by said at least one LED supplements said artificial light received by said one or more plants.  
   
   
       60 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 55 , wherein said support rail includes a channel in which said at least one light element is disposed within.  
   
   
       61 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 60 , wherein said at least one light element is a printed circuit board (PCB).  
   
   
       62 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 61 , further including a collar that holds said at least one PCB in said channel.  
   
   
       63 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 60 , wherein said support rail includes: 
 a base;    a pair of ears, disposed on different sides of said base; and    at least two internal grooves defined by said based and said pair of ears, wherein said base, said pair of ears and said at least two internal grooves define said channel.    
   
   
       64 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 55 , wherein said support rail includes at least one rib that facilitate dissipating heat produced by said at least one LED.  
   
   
       65 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 55 , wherein said support rail includes at least one mounting slot for mounting said support rail to one of said greenhouse frame and a roof of said greenhouse.  
   
   
       66 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 65 , further including at least one attachment hook disposed between said at least mounting slot and said one of said greenhouse frame and said roof of said greenhouse to attach said support rail to one of said greenhouse frame and said roof of said greenhouse.  
   
   
       67 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 55 , further including at least one remote power supply that provides power to one or more of said at least one LED.  
   
   
       68 . A greenhouse for growing plants, comprising: 
 a side disposed between one or more plants and the sun in which said side is transmissive to sunlight;    a greenhouse frame that supports said side; and    a greenhouse lamp for emitting light absorbed by said one or more plants, said greenhouse lamp including: 
 a carrier having a heat sink,  
 at least one PCB attached to said carrier;  
 at least one LED mounted on said at least one PCB;  
 a clamp that mounts said greenhouse lamp to said greenhouse frame; and  
 a power supply that provides power to said at least one LED.  
   
   
   
       69 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 68 , wherein said at least one LED is positioned to provide substantially uniform lighting to said one or more plants.  
   
   
       70 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 68 , wherein said greenhouse lamp does not substantially reduce a quantity of said sunlight received by said one or more plants.  
   
   
       71 . The greenhouse as set forth in  claim 68 , further including a plurality of said greenhouse lamps in which said plurality of said greenhouse lamps covers less than one of 15%, 10%, 5%, and 3% of a lighted area of said greenhouse.  
   
   
       72 . A method for supplementing natural light received within a greenhouse, comprising: 
 mounting one or more LED based greenhouse lamps to a frame of said greenhouse;    directing light energy emitted by said one or more LED based greenhouse lamps to one or more plants residing within said greenhouse to supplement natural light irradiating said one or more plants.    
   
   
       73 . The method as set forth in  claim 72 , wherein said one or more LED based greenhouse lamps are positioned to provide substantially uniform lighting to said one or more plants.  
   
   
       74 . The method as set forth in  claim 72 , wherein said one or more LED based greenhouse lamps do not substantially prevent said natural light from reaching said one or more plants.  
   
   
       75 . An LED lamp system for supplementing light in a greenhouse, comprising: 
 a light engine comprising a PCB and at least one LED mounted to the PCB;    a power supply that provides power to said at least one LED; and    a support rail comprising a heat sink for supporting the light engine, said support rail attachable to a frame of the greenhouse;    wherein said at least one LED emits light used to grow one or more plants.    
   
   
       76 . The LED lamp system of  claim 75 , wherein the light emitted from the at least one LED is in the range of about 400 nm to about 500 nm.  
   
   
       77 . The LED lamp system of  claim 76 , wherein the light emitted from the at least one LED has a peak emission at about 435 nm.  
   
   
       78 . The LED lamp system of  claim 76 , wherein the light emitted from the at least one LED has a peak emission at about 455 nm.  
   
   
       79 . The LED lamp system of  claim 75 , further comprising an attachment means for attaching the support rail to the greenhouse frame.