Hybrid illuminator

• US 20050117351A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teknoware Oy (Teknopower Oy)
• Original Assignee: Teknoware Oy (Teknopower Oy)
• Inventors: Kuisma, Jouko
• Granted Patent: US 8,794,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/373
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3675 characterised by the shape of the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• 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: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0999 Circuit printed on or in housing, e.g. housing as PCB; Circuit printed on the case of a component; PCB affixed to housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0061 onto a metallic substrate, e.g. a heat sink heat sinks for electric apparatus H05K7/20

Abstract

The present invention relates to an illuminator apparatus comprising one or more LEDs and one or more current control components and/or other illuminator components coupled in a thermally conductive manner to a circuit board. The circuit board, in turn, is in a thermally conductive manner integrated into a cooling element which serves as a frame part of the illuminator in order to transfer heat generated by the LEDs and the current control components and/or the other components through the circuit board to the cooling element and therefrom further to other structures of the illuminator and to an ambient environment.

Claims

1. An illuminator apparatus for use in an ambient environment, wherein the illuminator apparatus comprising a circuit board, at least one LED, and at least two components from the group consisting of at least one current control component and other illuminator components, said components coupled in a thermally conductive manner to the circuit board, other structures, and a frame part comprising at least one cooling element, said at least one cooling element being integrated into the circuit board in a thermally conductive manner in order to transfer heat generated by at least one of the LEDs, the current control components and the other illuminator components through the circuit board to the cooling element and therefrom further to said other structures and to the ambient environment.

2. The illuminator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a frame, the cooling element forming at least part of the frame.

3. The illuminator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling element is at least one of a thermally highly conductive plate or a profile attached to the circuit board.

4. The illuminator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling element is at least one of a metal plate, profile or a metal coating.

5. The illuminator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cooling element is at least one of an aluminium plate, profile or an aluminum coating.

6. The illuminator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling element comprises a surface, and the circuit board in its entirety is mounted to said surface of the at least one cooling element.

7. The illuminator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling element comprises a surface, and the circuit board is only partially mounted to said surface of the cooling element.

8. The illuminator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling element consists of at least two coatings, plates or profiles, or any combination thereof, arranged on top of one another.

9. The illuminator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board is attached to the cooling element by means of a thermally conductive glue in order to transfer heat efficiently through the circuit board to the cooling element.

10. The illuminator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board is attached to the cooling element mechanically and by means of a thermally conductive silicon paste in order to transfer heat through the circuit board to the cooling element.

11. The illuminator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board is attached to the cooling element by means of a heat-activated glue in order to transfer heat through the circuit board to the cooling element.

12. The illuminator as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the current control component or the current control components constitutes an active current-limiting converter.

13. The illuminator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cooling element is at least one of a thermally highly conductive plate or a profile attached to the circuit board.

14. The illuminator as claimed in claim 13, wherein the cooling element is at least one of a metal plate, profile or a metal coating.

15. The illuminator as claimed in claim 14, wherein the cooling element is at least one of an aluminium plate, profile or an aluminium coating.

16. The illuminator as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one cooling element comprises a surface, and the circuit board in its entirety is mounted to said surface of the at least one cooling element.

17. The illuminator as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one cooling element comprises a surface, and the circuit board is only partially mounted to said surface of the cooling element.

18. The illuminator as claimed in claim 17, wherein the cooling element consists of at least two coatings, plates or profiles, or any combination thereof, arranged on top of one another.

19. The illuminator as claimed in claim 18, wherein the circuit board is attached to the cooling element by means of at least one of a thermally conductive glue, mechanical attachment and a thermally conductive silicon paste, or a heat-activated glue in order to transfer heat efficiently through the circuit board to the cooling element.

20. The illuminator as claimed in claim 19, wherein at least one of the current control component or the current control components constitute an active current-limiting converter.