Sealing and Thermal Accommodation Arrangement in LED Package/Secondary Lens Structure

• US 20080273325A1
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ruud Lighting Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Guillien, Wayne, Wilcox, Kurt S., Walczak, Steve R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,976,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/240
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/10 characterised by specific fastening means or way of fastening F21V17/02 - F21V17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 25/00 Safety devices structurally associated with lighting devices gas- tight or water-tight arrangements F21V31/00; in general F16P; protective circuit arrangements per se H02H7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/007 Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/105 of arenas or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An LED apparatus of the type having a mounting board, an LED package thereon with a primary lens, and a secondary lens member over the primary lens and establishing a light path therebetween, includes a resilient member against the secondary lens member in position other than in the light path, the resilient member yieldingly constraining the secondary lens member and accommodating secondary lens member movement caused by primary lens thermal expansion during operation.

Claims

1. In an LED apparatus including (a) a mounting board, (b) an LED package thereon with a primary lens, and (c) a secondary lens member over the primary lens and establishing a light path therebetween, the improvement comprising a resilient member against the secondary lens member in position other than in the light path, the resilient member yieldingly constraining the secondary lens member thereby to provide a weather-proof seal about the LED package while accommodating secondary lens member movement caused by primary lens thermal expansion during operation.

2. The LED apparatus of claim 1 further including a cover having an opening aligned with the light path and securing the secondary lens member over the LED package, the resilient member being disposed between the cover and the mounting board.

3. The LED apparatus of claim 2 wherein the resilient member is a gasket.

5. The LED apparatus of claim 3 wherein the gasket is made of silicone.

6. The LED apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

the secondary lens member includes a lens portion and a flange thereabout; and

the gasket includes an inner surface which faces and yieldingly abuts the flange.

7. The LED apparatus of claim 6 wherein the gasket has an aperture aligned with the light path, the gasket aperture being sized to receive the lens portion.

10. The LED apparatus of claim 7 wherein the gasket is between the cover and the flange, and the cover presses the gasket and the flange of the secondary lens member to the mounting board.

4. (canceled)

8-9. -9. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

19. In an LED apparatus including (a) a mounting board, (b) a plurality of spaced-apart LED packages thereon, each LED package having a primary lens, and (c) a plurality of secondary lens members each positioned over a respective primary lens and establishing a light path therebetween, the improvement comprising a resilient member which includes a plurality of apertures therein, each aperture aligned with a corresponding light path, the resilient member yieldingly constraining the lens member and providing a weather-proof seal about each of the LED packages.

12. The LED apparatus of claim 19 further including a cover having openings each aligned with a corresponding light path and securing each secondary lens member over the respective LED package, the resilient member being disposed between the cover and the mounting board.

14. The LED apparatus of claim 12 wherein the resilient member is a gasket disposed between the secondary lens members and the cover.

15. The LED apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

each secondary lens member includes a lens portion and a flange thereabout; and

each gasket aperture is sized to receive the lens portion of the corresponding secondary lens member.

17. The LED apparatus of claim 14 wherein the gasket is between the cover and the flanges of the secondary lens members, and the cover presses the gasket and the flanges to the mounting board.

18. The LED apparatus of claim 19 wherein the resilient member is a unitary member.

20. In an LED apparatus including (a) a mounting board, (b) an LED device thereon, and (c) a lens member over the LED device and establishing a light path therebetween, the improvement comprising a resilient member against the lens member in position other than in the light path, the resilient member yieldingly constraining the lens member thereby to provide a weather-proof seal about the LED device while accommodating movement caused by thermal expansion of the lens member.

21. The LED apparatus of claim 20 further including a cover having an opening aligned with the light path, the resilient member being disposed between the cover and the mounting board.

22. The LED apparatus of claim 21 wherein the resilient member is a gasket made of silicone.

24. The LED apparatus of claim 21 wherein:

the lens member includes a lens portion and a flange thereabout; and

the gasket includes an inner surface which faces and yieldingly abuts the flange.

25. The LED apparatus of claim 24 wherein the gasket has an aperture aligned with the light path, the gasket aperture being sized to receive the lens portion.

26. The LED apparatus of claim 26 wherein the gasket is between the cover and the flange, and the cover presses the gasket and the flange of the lens member to the mounting board.

27. In an LED apparatus including (a) a mounting board, (b) a plurality of spaced-apart LED devices thereon, and (c) a plurality of lens members each positioned over a respective LED device and establishing a light path therebetween, the improvement comprising a resilient member which includes a plurality of apertures therein, each aperture aligned with a corresponding light path, the resilient member yieldingly constraining the lens member and providing a weather-proof seal about each of the LED devices.

28. The LED apparatus of claim 27 further including a cover having openings each aligned with a corresponding light path and securing each lens member over the respective LED package, the resilient member being disposed between the cover and the mounting board.

29. The LED apparatus of claim 28 wherein the resilient member is a gasket disposed between the lens members and the cover.

30. The LED apparatus of claim 29 wherein:

each lens member includes a lens portion and a flange thereabout; and

each gasket aperture is sized to receive the lens portion of the corresponding lens member.

31. The LED apparatus of claim 27 wherein the resilient member is a unitary member.