Kim Lighting’s Lightvault LED Product Line Improves Lumen Output, Expands Distributions and Application Usage

Kim Lighting, the premiere manufacturer of architectural outdoor lighting, takes you on a journey of Lightvault LED history and application.

The first Lightvault LED model (LTV71 LED) was introduced in 2005, and was one of the first LED products Kim introduced to the market. Over the last few years, the LEDs in the LTV71 LED have improved to a diode that has more than twice the lumens. The application for the product has evolved into a whole new category because the top surface of the lens will not get hot. This alone has allowed the product to be placed in areas where people can literally stand on the fixture with bare feet. The product is very shallow, so setting it in grade or concrete is extremely easy. The composite construction of the below-grade housing has proven to hold up to extreme environments and the use of bronze on the lens rings makes the product impervious to Mother Nature’s wrath.

The LTV71 LED has proven to be a useful tool for several applications, however there are other
applications where unique designs can take the product beyond a simple up-light. The initial Spot and Narrow Flood distributions do a great job for general accent lighting where the task is highlighted with a splash of light, but they don’t wash a wall with smooth even light. With the new Wall Wash (WW) distribution introduction, the luminaire can be placed fairly close to a wall and still produce a good uniform pattern. The main beam from the Wall Wash optic is aimed high up the wall to product a vertical flood. It can be adjusted internally to set the pattern to match the size and shape of the task. With a fine-tuning, the Wall Wash optic can be arranged to where the back light is reduced to prevent most of the obtrusive glare that might be seen by people walking by. Imagine this distribution for memorial walls of signs where people are in close proximity. The new LTV71 LED version has several options for applications with special circumstances. OPTIONS: A Rock Guard for vandal prone areas, a Half Shield for extra back-light control, and a Stainless Steel lens ring for beauty. There is also a Slip Resistant lens option for use in areas where a little extra caution is needed.

What about those low walls or signs where the LTV71 LED just doesn’t light because the lens surface is at grade? This is where a LTV72 LED (Eyeball) design will do the trick. The lens is angled up from the ground surface to allow the light to exit at a lower angle. The Spot and Narrow Flood would still be used for accent lighting, but the Wall Wash optic would benefit from the lifted angle. If the fixture was position further away from the wall or sign, the LTV72 LED would allow the light to hit the lower part. The optics are adjustable internally to allow for aiming toward the task or up the wall for a smooth light pattern.

The LTV73 LED (aka Directional Market or Speedbump) is ideal for lighting a pathway from a perimeter, offered as a full pattern around the luminaire, to a half pattern toward the walkway. We offer this type of product in the existing LightVault series and have found many uses for its unique distribution. The spot optic inside the unit is aimed directly at a stainless steel reflector tucked up under the louvered lens frame, the reflector redirects the light outward horizontally across the path. The most common use of this type of product is around courtyards where the unit is placed away from the general walking path.

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