HEAT SINKING AND FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT BOARD, FOR SOLID STATE LIGHT FIXTURE UTILIZING AN OPTICAL CAVITY
First Claim
1. A light fixture for providing general lighting in a region or area intended to be occupied by a person, the fixture comprising:
- a light transmissive structure forming a volume, the structure having a contoured outer surface and an optical aperture surface, at least an outer peripheral portion of the structure along the contoured surface being substantially rigid;
a reflector having a diffusely reflective interior surface extending over at least a substantial portion of the contoured outer surface of the light transmissive structure to form an optical cavity including the volume of the light transmissive structure with an optical aperture at the aperture surface of the light transmissive structure;
a flexible circuit board, the flexible circuit board comprising;
(a) a mounting section having an inner peripheral portion of substantially similar shape and of a size slightly larger than the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure, and(b) a plurality of flexible tabs attached to and extending from the inner peripheral region of the mounting section of the flexible circuit board;
a plurality of solid state light emitters, for producing light intensity sufficient for a general lighting application of the fixture, at least one of the solid state light emitters being mounted on a first surface of each of the tabs of the flexible circuit board; and
a heat sink member having an inner peripheral portion of substantially similar shape and of a size slightly larger than the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure, wherein;
the mounting section of the flexible circuit board is mounted on an attachment surface of the heat sink member, the attachment surface of the heat sink member having an inner edge at the inner peripheral portion of the heat sink member;
the flexible tabs are bent at a substantial angle with respect to the mounting section of the flexible circuit board, around the inner edge of the attachment surface of the heat sink, by pressure of the solid state emitters mounted on the tabs against the outer peripheral portion along the contoured surface of the light transmissive structure,a second surface of each respective one of the tabs, opposite the first surface of the respective tab, provides heat transfer to the heat sink member, to permit heat transfer from each solid state emitter on each respective tab to the heat sink member; and
the tabs hold the light emitters against the outer peripheral portion along the contoured surface of the light transmissive structure in such an orientation that a central axis of emission of each light emitter is at a substantial angle with respect to a perpendicular axis of the aperture surface of the light transmissive structure.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed exemplary solid state light fixtures use optical cavities to combine or integrate light from LEDs or the like. In such a fixture, the cavity is formed by a light transmissive structure having a volume, and a diffuse reflector that covers a contoured portion of the structure. A heat sink member supports a flexible circuit board so as to position the light emitters to couple light to the transmissive structure and provide effective heat dissipation. The circuit board has flexible tabs mounting the emitters. When installed in the fixture, the tabs bend and the emitters press against a sufficiently rigid periphery of the light transmissive structure. TIM may be compressed between the heat sink member and the opposite surface of each tab. Heat conductive surface pads and heat conductors through vias through the tabs conduct heat from the emitters to the heat sink member, e.g. through the TIM.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A light fixture for providing general lighting in a region or area intended to be occupied by a person, the fixture comprising:
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a light transmissive structure forming a volume, the structure having a contoured outer surface and an optical aperture surface, at least an outer peripheral portion of the structure along the contoured surface being substantially rigid; a reflector having a diffusely reflective interior surface extending over at least a substantial portion of the contoured outer surface of the light transmissive structure to form an optical cavity including the volume of the light transmissive structure with an optical aperture at the aperture surface of the light transmissive structure; a flexible circuit board, the flexible circuit board comprising; (a) a mounting section having an inner peripheral portion of substantially similar shape and of a size slightly larger than the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure, and (b) a plurality of flexible tabs attached to and extending from the inner peripheral region of the mounting section of the flexible circuit board; a plurality of solid state light emitters, for producing light intensity sufficient for a general lighting application of the fixture, at least one of the solid state light emitters being mounted on a first surface of each of the tabs of the flexible circuit board; and a heat sink member having an inner peripheral portion of substantially similar shape and of a size slightly larger than the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure, wherein; the mounting section of the flexible circuit board is mounted on an attachment surface of the heat sink member, the attachment surface of the heat sink member having an inner edge at the inner peripheral portion of the heat sink member; the flexible tabs are bent at a substantial angle with respect to the mounting section of the flexible circuit board, around the inner edge of the attachment surface of the heat sink, by pressure of the solid state emitters mounted on the tabs against the outer peripheral portion along the contoured surface of the light transmissive structure, a second surface of each respective one of the tabs, opposite the first surface of the respective tab, provides heat transfer to the heat sink member, to permit heat transfer from each solid state emitter on each respective tab to the heat sink member; and the tabs hold the light emitters against the outer peripheral portion along the contoured surface of the light transmissive structure in such an orientation that a central axis of emission of each light emitter is at a substantial angle with respect to a perpendicular axis of the aperture surface of the light transmissive structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A light fixture for providing general lighting in a region or area intended to be occupied by a person, the fixture comprising:
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a light transmissive structure forming a volume, the structure having a contoured outer surface and an optical aperture surface; a reflector having a diffusely reflective interior surface extending over at least a substantial portion of the contoured outer surface of the light transmissive structure to form an optical cavity including the volume of the light transmissive structure, a portion of the aperture surface of the light transmissive structure forming an optical aperture of the cavity; a heat sink member having an inner peripheral portion; a flexible circuit board, the flexible circuit board comprising; (a) a mounting section mounted on the heat sink member, and (b) at least one flexible tab attached to and extending from the mounting section of the flexible circuit board, each flexible tab being bent around the heat sink member and positioned between the inner peripheral portion of the heat sink member and an outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure; and one or more solid state light emitters, for producing light intensity sufficient for a general lighting application of the fixture, at least one solid state light emitter being mounted on a respective tab of the flexible circuit board and positioned by the respective tab between a surface of the respective tab and the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure, wherein the respective tab holds said at least one solid state light emitter in relation to the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure in such an orientation that the aperture surface of the light transmissive structure reflects a portion of direct emissions from each solid state light emitter back into the optical cavity by total internal reflection, for subsequent diffuse reflection off of the reflector for optical integration within the cavity before emission through the optical aperture. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A light fixture for providing general lighting in a region or area intended to be occupied by a person, the fixture comprising:
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a light transmissive structure; a reflector having a diffusely reflective interior surface, coupled to the light transmissive structure to form an optical cavity having an optical aperture; a heat sink member having an inner peripheral portion; a flexible circuit board, the flexible circuit board comprising; (a) a mounting section mounted on the heat sink member, and (b) at least one flexible tab attached to and extending from the mounting section of the flexible circuit board, each flexible tab being bent around the heat sink member and positioned between the inner peripheral portion of the heat sink member and an outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure; and one or more solid state light emitters, for producing light intensity sufficient for a general lighting application of the fixture, at least one solid state light emitter being mounted on a respective tab of the flexible circuit board and positioned by the respective tab between a surface of the respective tab and the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure, wherein the respective tab holds said at least one solid state light emitter in relation to the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure in such an orientation that a central axis of emission of each solid state light emitter is at a substantial angle with respect to a perpendicular axis of the aperture of the optical cavity. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification