Conversion cradle incandescent lamp to LED lamp

• US 20060039159A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grote Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Grote Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, Kevin Scott, Koehler, Jay Frederick, Grote, William Dominic III
• Granted Patent: US 7,153,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/548
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/56 for illuminating registrations or the like , e.g. for licence plates
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/23 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with a single fitting for each light source, e.g. for substitution of incandescent lamps with bayonet or threaded fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• 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 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A LED lamp mounting assembly for use in motor vehicle lamps is described. The LED lamp mounting assembly connects a LED lamp to a pre-existing incandescent lamp socket in a motor vehicle. The LED lamp mounting assembly therefore allows a LED lamp to be operated from incandescent lamp hardware. In one embodiment, the LED lamp mounting assembled includes a LED lamp assembly, a heat sink, a cradle, printed circuit boards and an electrical connector. The electrical connector is insertable into the incandescent lamp socket and connects to the printed circuit boards. The printed circuit boards power the LED lamp assembly and the heat sink adsorbs excess heat created by the LED lamp assembly. The motor vehicle lamp becomes a LED lamp without any changes to the existing incandescent lamp hardware.

Claims

1. A LED lamp mounting assembly comprising:

a cradle constructed and arranged to be mountable in a vehicle incandescent lamp mounting assembly, said vehicle incandescent lamp mounting assembly including an incandescent light bulb socket;

a LED lamp including a connector; and

an electrical connector including a base, wherein said electrical connector is operatively coupled to said connector of said LED lamp, wherein said base is constructed and arranged to be insertable in said incandescent light bulb socket.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said LED lamp is operatively connected to said electrical connector using wires that attach to pins of the connector.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said connection provides a single circuit system.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said connection provides a double circuit system.

5. The assembly of claim 1, further including fasteners to couple the cradle and the LED lamp.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said base is constructed and arranged to be insertable in a wedge based bulb socket.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said base is constructed and arranged to be insertable in a bayonet base bulb socket.

8. The assembly of claim 2, said electrical connector further including a ground wire operatively coupled to said socket.

9. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said wires are coated with epoxy.

10. A device for replacing an incandescent lamp with an LED lamp in a motor vehicle comprising:

an incandescent lamp socket;

an electrical connector including a base, wherein said base is constructed and arranged to be insertable into said incandescent light bulb socket;

a cradle including an outer rim and a basin, said basin defining a recess and including a circuit board chamber, wherein said outer rim is mountable upon said motor vehicle;

a heat sink defining a recess, wherein said recess of said basin receives said heat sink;

a license lamp printed circuit board, wherein said license lamp printed circuit board is positioned between said heat sink and said cradle;

a drive printed circuit board, wherein said drive printed circuit board is received inside said circuit board chamber of said basin; and

a LED lamp operatively coupled to said electrical connector, wherein said LED lamp is received inside the recess of said heat sink.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said heat sink is composed of aluminum.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein said cradle is composed of plastic.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein said drive circuit board is coupled to said basin using epoxy.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein said base is constructed and arranged to be received by a bayonet based bulb socket.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein said base is constructed and arranged to be received by a wedge based bulb socket.

16. The device of claim 10, said heat sink including a flange, wherein said license lamp PCB is sandwiched in between said flange and said cradle.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein said LED lamp, said cradle, and said heat sink are coupled using fasteners.

18. A method for installing LED lights comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle lamp mounting assembly including a protective lens and an incandescent bulb, wherein said incandescent bulb is mounted in a socket;

removing said lens and incandescent bulb from said mounting assembly;

replacing said incandescent bulb with a LED lamp mounting assembly constructed and arranged to be insertable in said socket; and

replacing said lens after installing said LED lamp mounting assembly.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said socket is a wedge based bulb socket.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said socket is a bayonet based bulb socket.