Replaceable LED lamp capsule

• US 20040037088A1
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: George J. English, Kun Huang, Robert L. Garrison
• Inventors: Huang, Kun, Garrison, Robert L., English, George J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,150,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/545
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/195 Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/48 with means for conducting heat from the inside to the outside of the lighting devices, e.g. with fins on the outer surface of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/13 the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L33/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

Open LED chips may be arranged directly on the surface of a replaceable lamp capsule without intervening packages that reduce overall light emission. The chips may be oriented in such a way that the lamp generates a unique “donut” shape radiation pattern, which is suitable for a flat and shallow secondary optics to collimate the light into a desired beam pattern, and to reduce the unaesthetic appearance of points of light in an onlooker'"'"'s view. The LED chips are driven in such a way that one chip fails, the whole lamp fails to avoid a partially lit appearance. At the same time the heat generated by the LED chips may be conducted away by the support structure to possibly vehicle'"'"'s sheet metal to enhance life of the LED chip. The standardization of this LED lamp makes this product more cost effective thus to be used in broader lighting applications.

Claims

1. A vehicle light source comprising:

a replaceable lamp capsule having a support directly supporting one or more LED chips providing substantially direct emission of light.

2. The light source in claim 1, wherein the support is made from material having a high thermal conductivity to conduct heat away from the one or more LED chips.

3. The light source in claim 2, wherein the support includes a base structure including a coupling to latch the light source to an external body, the base structure further including a heat transfer element to thermally conduct heat from the support to a heat sink.

4. The light source in claim 2, wherein the support includes a metal thermal conductor for ducting heat from the LED chip to an exterior heat sink.

5. The vehicle light source in claim 1, wherein the support has a head portion providing a surface substantially intermediate the majority of the one or more LED chips and the field to be illuminated at least in the forward direction.

6. The vehicle light source in claim 1, wherein there are three or more LED chips positioned radially around the support, each LED chip has a field of illumination, and each radially positioned LED has a respective nearest neighbor radially positioned LED chip, is oriented and has a sufficiently broad field of illumination so as to at least partially overlap at least the field of illumination of the respective nearest neighbor radially positioned LED chip.

7. The vehicle light source in claim 1, wherein a first group of LED chips are positioned to form a connected path around the support.

8. The vehicle light source in claim 7, further having a second group of LED chips positioned to form a second connected path around the support.

9. The vehicle light source in claim 8, wherein the first group of LED chips provides a first circuit, and the second group of LED chips forms a second circuit.

10. The vehicle light source in claim 9, wherein the first group of LED chips provides a first color, and the second group of LED chips provides a second color.

11. The lighting assembly in claim 1, having more than one LED chip and wherein the LED chips include LED chips of a first color and LED chips of a second color, the first color and the second color being blended during operation of the light source providing a perceived third color.

35. The lamp in claim 1, wherein at least a first LED chip having a side wall and a second LED chip having a similar side wall are each arranged approximately tangential to the support to face perpendicularly away from the support, each LED chip and the respective side walls being adjacent one another, albeit separated one from another by a distance, and wherein the support has sufficient curvature intermediate the first LED chip and the second LED chip such that light emissions normal to the first LED side face pass unintercepted over the second LED side face to a field to be illuminated.

12. A vehicle light source comprising:

a replaceable lamp capsule having a support defining a lamp axis extending in a forward direction towards a field to be illuminated, the support supporting one or more LED devices, each LED device having a predominate LED axis of light emission, the majority of the LED devices being oriented so their respective LED axis'"'"'s form an angle with the forward lamp axis direction of ninety or more degrees;

a replaceable lamp capsule having a support directly supporting one or more LED devices providing substantially direct emission of light.

13. The light source in claim 12, wherein the support is made from material having a high thermal conductivity to conduct heat away from the one or more LED devices.

14. The light source in claim 13, wherein the support includes a base structure including a coupling to latch the light source to an external body, the base structure further including a heat transfer element to thermally conduct heat from the support to a heat sink.

15. The light source in claim 13, wherein the support includes a metal thermal conductor for ducting heat from the LED device to an exterior heat sink.

16. The vehicle light source in claim 12, wherein the support has a head portion providing a surface substantially intermediate the majority of the one or more LED devices and the field to be illuminated at least in the forward direction.

17. The vehicle light source in claim 12, wherein there are three or more LED devices positioned radially around the support, each LED device has a field of illumination, and each radially positioned LED has a respective nearest neighbor radially positioned LED device, is oriented and has a sufficiently broad field of illumination so as to at least partially overlap at least the field of illumination of the respective nearest neighbor radially positioned LED device.

18. The vehicle light source in claim 12, wherein a first group of LED devices are positioned to form a connected path around the support.

19. The vehicle light source in claim 18, further having a second group of LED devices positioned to form a second connected path around the support.

20. The vehicle light source in claim 19, wherein the first group of LED devices provide a first circuit, and the second group of LED devices forms a second circuit.

21. The vehicle light source in claim 19, wherein the first group of LED devices provides a first color, and the second group of LED devices provides a second color.

22. The lighting assembly in claim 12, having more than one LED device and wherein the LED devices include LED devices of a first color and LED devices of a second color, the first color and the second color being blended during operation of the light source providing a perceived third color.

23. A vehicle lighting assembly comprising:

a) a replaceable lamp capsule having a support defining a lamp axis extending in a forward direction towards a field to be illuminated, the support directly supporting one or more LED chips, each LED chip having a predominate LED axis of light emission, the majority of the LED chips being oriented so their respective LED axis'"'"'s form an angle with the forward lamp axis direction of ninety or more degrees; and

b) a reflector having a reflective surface offset from and oriented with respect to a majority of the LED chips to intercept the LED axises, and reflect light emitted from the LED chips generally in the forward direction to the field to be illuminated.

24. The vehicle lighting assembly in claim 23, where in the reflector has a smooth reflective surface.

25. The vehicle lighting assembly in claim 23, where in the reflector has a Fresnel type reflective surface.

26. The vehicle lighting assembly in claim 23, having a reflector diameter to reflector height ratio of more than 1.0.

27. The vehicle lighting assembly in claim 23, having a reflector height less than 5.0 centimeters.

28. A vehicle lighting assembly comprising:

a housing having a wall including a light transmissive lens facing an enclosed volume, and a reflective surface supported inside the housing, the housing having an opening permitting access to the enclosed volume, a removable lamp capsule having a base with a support holding at least one LED chip as a light source, the capsule including an electrical coupling electrically linked to the LED chip, the capsule positioned in the opening to align the LED chip to direct light emitted from the LED chip substantially to the reflector for reflection to the light transmissive lens.

29. The vehicle lighting assembly in claim 28, wherein a multiplicity of radially positioned LED chips are positioned at an angle with reference to an axis extending through the lens, such that a majority of the light emitted from the majority of the LED chips is reflected by the reflective surface through the lens.

30. The vehicle lighting assembly in claim 28, wherein the support includes a multiplicity of pad areas on a forward portion of the support, each pad area providing a respective first circuit connection electrically connected to a respective LED chip;

a mechanical connection providing support for the respective LED chip; and

thermal conduction of heat away from the respective LED chip.

31. A vehicle lamp comprising:

a) lamp capsule having

a base,

an axis extending from the base in a forward direction,

a support extending from the base in the forward direction, and having a surface extending circumferentially around the axis, and

b) a plurality of LED chips mounted directly on the support substantially directing light away from the forward direction.

32. The lamp in claim 31, wherein a plurality of LED chips are mounted with each respective light distribution axis with an angle to the forward direction greater than ninety degrees.

34. The lamp in claim 31, wherein a plurality of LED devices are mounted with each respective light distribution axis with an angle to the forward direction greater than ninety degrees.

33. A vehicle lamp comprising:

a) lamp capsule having

a base,

an axis extending from the base in a forward direction,

a support extending from the base in the forward direction, and having a surface extending circumferentially around the axis, and

b) a plurality of LED devices mounted on the support substantially directing light away from the forward direction.