SELF-BALLASTED SOLID STATE LIGHTING DEVICES

• US 20080130298A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: LED Lighting Fixtures, Inc. (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pickard, Paul Kenneth, Van De Ven, Antony Paul, Negley, Gerald H., Chan, Wai Kwan, Myers, Peter Jay
• Granted Patent: US 8,057,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/365
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/026 intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/507 of means for protecting lighting devices from damage, e.g. housings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/713 in direct thermal and mechanical contact of each other to form a single system
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/745 the fins or blades being planar and inclined with respect to the joining surface from which the fins or blades extend
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/75 with fins or blades having different shapes, thicknesses or spacing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/773 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A lighting device, comprising a light engine housing, a light engine comprising one or more solid state light emitters, a diffuser and an energy forwarding element which receives AC voltage and supplies power to the light engine. The light engine housing comprises an electrical connection region which is engageable with an electricity supply device. The light engine housing comprises a first compartment, in which the light engine is positioned and a second compartment. The light engine housing comprises a flange region. The first compartment has an opening which is covered by the diffuser. The lighting device can be mounted such the only elements which are visible from a room are the flange region, a front side of the diffuser and any portion of the first compartment which is between the opening and the open end of the light engine housing. The light engine housing can comprise heat-dissipating fins.

Claims

1. A lighting device, comprising:

a light engine housing;

a light engine;

a diffuser; and

an energy forwarding element,

said light engine housing comprising an electrical connection region, said electrical connection region being engageable with an electricity supply device,

said light engine housing comprising a first compartment and a second compartment,

said light engine housing comprising a plurality of heat-dissipating fins,

said light engine housing comprising a flange region which surrounds an open end of the light engine housing,

said light engine being positioned within said first compartment of said light engine housing,

said light engine comprising at least a first solid state light emitter,

said energy forwarding element being positioned within said second compartment of said light engine housing, at least a first region of said energy forwarding element being electrically connected to said electrical connection region, at least a second region of said energy forwarding element being electrically connected to said light engine, said energy forwarding element comprising circuitry which, if power of an AC voltage is supplied to said first region of said energy forwarding element, supplies energy to said light engine in a form such that said first solid state light emitter will emit light,

said first compartment having an opening which is covered by said diffuser, whereby at least a portion of light emitted by said first solid state light emitter which travels toward said opening will pass through said diffuser and then through said open end of said light engine housing to exit from said light engine housing,

whereby if said lighting device is mounted in a hole in a structure such that said flange region is on a first side of said structure and at least a portion of a back side of said flange region is in contact with a region of said first side of said structure which surrounds said hole, and a remainder of said light engine housing is on an opposite side of said hole relative to said flange region, the only elements which would be visible within a field defined by an outer periphery of said flange portion of said light engine housing from a vantage point which is in a region which is to said first side of said structure would be a front side of said flange region, a front side of said diffuser and any portion of said first compartment which is between said opening and said open end.

2. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said electrical connection region is engageable in an Edison socket or comprises a GU24 base.

3. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first solid state light emitter comprises an LED.

4. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said lighting device further comprises a lighting device housing, said light engine housing being positioned such that an entirety of said light engine housing, except for said flange region, is within said lighting device housing.

5. A lighting device as recited in claim 4, wherein said lighting device housing is substantially cylindrical.

6. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said energy forwarding element converts said power of an AC voltage into power of a DC voltage.

7. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said open end is substantially circular.

8. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said AC voltage is line voltage.

9. A lighting device, comprising:

a light engine housing;

a light engine;

a diffuser; and

an energy forwarding element,

said light engine housing comprising an electrical connection region, said electrical connection region being engageable with an electricity supply device,

said light engine housing comprising a first compartment and a second compartment,

said light engine housing comprising a flange region which surrounds an open end of the light engine housing,

said light engine being positioned within said first compartment of said light engine housing,

said light engine comprising at least a first solid state light emitter,

said energy forwarding element being positioned within said second compartment of said light engine housing, at least a first region of said energy forwarding element being electrically connected to said electrical connection region, at least a second region of said energy forwarding element being electrically connected to said light engine, said energy forwarding element comprising circuitry which, if power of an AC voltage is supplied to said first region of said energy forwarding element, supplies energy to said light engine in a form such that said first solid state light emitter will emit light,

an entirety of said energy forwarding element being within a space whose boundaries would be defined by points through which a periphery of said open end would pass if said periphery of said open end were moved, in a direction parallel to a shortest line segment connecting said electrical connection region and said diffuser, from said open end to a position where said periphery of said open end would surround said electrical connection region,

said first compartment having an opening which is covered by said diffuser, whereby at least a portion of light emitted by said first solid state light emitter which travels toward said opening will pass through said diffuser and then through said open end of said light engine housing to exit from said light engine housing,

whereby if said lighting device is mounted in a hole in a structure such that said flange region is on a first side of said structure and at least a portion of a back side of said flange region is in contact with a region of said first side of said structure which surrounds said hole, and a remainder of said light engine housing is on an opposite side of said hole relative to said flange region, the only elements which would be visible within a field defined by an outer periphery of said flange portion of said light engine housing from a vantage point which is in a region which is to said first side of said structure would be a front side of said flange region, a front side of said diffuser and any portion of said first compartment which is between said opening and said open end.

10. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein said first solid state light emitter comprises an LED.

11. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein said lighting device further comprises a lighting device housing, said light engine housing being positioned such that an entirety of said light engine housing, except for said flange region, is within said lighting device housing.

12. A lighting device as recited in claim 11, wherein said lighting device housing is substantially cylindrical.

13. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein said energy forwarding element converts said power of an AC voltage into power of a DC voltage.

14. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein said open end is substantially circular.

15. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein said electrical connection region is engageable in an Edison socket or comprises a GU24 base.

16. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein said AC voltage is line voltage.

17. A lighting device, comprising:

a light engine housing;

means for generating light;

a diffuser; and

means for forwarding energy,

said light engine housing comprising means for receiving AC voltage,

said light engine housing comprising a first compartment and a second compartment,

said light engine housing comprising a plurality of heat-dissipating fins,

said light engine housing comprising a flange region which surrounds an open end of the light engine housing,

said means for generating light being positioned within said first compartment of said light engine housing,

said means for generating light comprising at least a first solid state light emitter,

said means for forwarding energy being positioned within said second compartment of said light engine housing, said means for forwarding energy being electrically connected to said means for receiving AC voltage, said means for forwarding energy being electrically connected to said means for generating light, said means for forwarding energy comprising means for converting power of an AC voltage to a form which, if supplied to said means for generating light, will cause said means for generating light to emit light,

said first compartment having an opening which is covered by said diffuser, whereby at least a portion of light emitted by said first solid state light emitter which travels toward said opening will pass through said diffuser and then through said open end of said light engine housing to exit from said light engine housing,

whereby if said lighting device is mounted in a hole in a structure such that said flange region is on a first side of said structure and at least a portion of a back side of said flange region is in contact with a region of said first side of said structure which surrounds said hole, and a remainder of said light engine housing is on an opposite side of said hole relative to said flange region, the only elements which would be visible within a field defined by an outer periphery of said flange portion of said light engine housing from a vantage point which is in a region which is to said first side of said structure would be a front side of said flange region, a front side of said diffuser and any portion of said first compartment which is between said opening and said open end.

18. A lighting device as recited in claim 17, wherein said means for receiving AC voltage is engageable in an Edison socket or comprises a GU24 base.

19. A lighting device as recited in claim 17, wherein said first solid state light emitter comprises an LED.

20. A lighting device as recited in claim 17, wherein said lighting device further comprises a lighting device housing, said light engine housing being positioned such that an entirety of said light engine housing, except for said flange region, is within said lighting device housing.

21. A lighting device as recited in claim 20, wherein said lighting device housing is substantially cylindrical.

22. A lighting device as recited in claim 17, wherein said means for forwarding energy converts said power of an AC voltage into power of a DC voltage.

23. A lighting device as recited in claim 17, wherein said open end is substantially circular.

24. A lighting device as recited in claim 17, wherein said AC voltage is line voltage.