LED lamp

• US 20040201990A1
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Meyer, William E.
• Application Number:
  US10/794,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/255
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/58 characterised by the coolants
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/85 characterised by the material liquid coolants F21V29/56
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details

Abstract

LED lamps may be effectively cooled with an atmosphere of high thermal conductivity. Hydrogen and helium are transparent gases with high thermal conductivity. Enclosing an LED light source in such a gas environment efficiently conducts heat from the LED thereby enhancing the LED'"'"'s output and extending the LED'"'"'s life.

Claims

1. A lamp comprising:

a solid-state light source mounted on a support structure;

a light transmissive envelope enclosing the light source and support structure;

an electrical input lead and a return lead passing into the envelope, and electrically coupled to the light source thereby providing electrical energy to the light source; and

a low molecular weight gas fill enclosed in the envelope in thermal contact with the light source.

2. The lamp in claim 1, wherein the gas fill has a cold pressure of 0.75×

10⁵ Pascals (0.75 atmospheres) or more.

3. The lamp in claim 1, wherein the gas fill is helium.

4. The lamp in claim 1, wherein the gas fill is hydrogen.

5. The lamp in claim 1, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode (LED).

6. The lamp in claim 1, wherein the light source is a laser diode.

7. The lamp in claim 1, wherein the envelope is glass.

8. The lamp in claim 1, wherein the support structure includes at least one of the electrical leads.

9. The lamp in claim 1, wherein the support structure includes thermal radiation feature.

10. The lamp in claim 9, wherein the thermal radiation feature is a heat sink.

12. The lamp in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the exposed, exterior surface area of the envelope to the exposed surface area of the light source is greater than the ratio of the temperature in Celsius of the light source to the normal external temperature (ambient temperature) in Celsius.

11. A lamp comprising:

a light emitting diode (LED) light source mounted on a support structure;

a glass envelope enclosing the LED light source and support structure;

an electrical input lead and a return lead passing into the envelope providing electrical energy to the light source; and

a helium fill gas of about 1×

10⁵ Pascals (1.0 atmosphere) enclosed in the envelope in thermal contact with the light source.