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, an optical aperture surface and a peripheral optical coupling surface between the contoured outer surface and the optical aperture surface, the peripheral optical coupling surface forming an obtuse angle with respect to the 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 of a size somewhat larger than the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure and having an inner surface at an angle at least substantially corresponding to the angle formed by the peripheral optical coupling surface of the light transmissive structure;
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 angled inner surface of the inner peripheral portion of the heat sink member and the angled peripheral optical coupling surface 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 the respective tab and the angled peripheral optical coupling surface of the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure,wherein the respective tab holds said at least one solid state light emitter against the peripheral optical coupling surface of the light transmissive structure for emission of light through the peripheral optical coupling surface into the volume formed by the light transmissive structure.
2 Assignments
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 circuit board has flexible tabs mounting the light emitters. A heat sink member supports the circuit board and is contoured relative to the shape of the light transmissive structure so that 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. Various contours/angles of the periphery of the light transmissive structure and the mating portion of the heat sink member may be used.
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Citations
26 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, an optical aperture surface and a peripheral optical coupling surface between the contoured outer surface and the optical aperture surface, the peripheral optical coupling surface forming an obtuse angle with respect to the 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 of a size somewhat larger than the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure and having an inner surface at an angle at least substantially corresponding to the angle formed by the peripheral optical coupling surface of the light transmissive structure; 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 angled inner surface of the inner peripheral portion of the heat sink member and the angled peripheral optical coupling surface 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 the respective tab and the angled peripheral optical coupling surface of the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure, wherein the respective tab holds said at least one solid state light emitter against the peripheral optical coupling surface of the light transmissive structure for emission of light through the peripheral optical coupling surface into the volume formed by the light transmissive structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A solid state lighting system for providing general lighting in a region or area intended to be occupied by a person, comprising a light fixture and drive circuitry,
the fixture comprising: -
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 of a size somewhat larger than an outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure and having an inner surface at least substantially conforming in shape to the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure; a flexible circuit board, the flexible circuit board comprising; (a) a mounting section mounted on the heat sink member, (b) a strip extending from the mounting section of the flexible circuit board providing electrical connections to the drive circuitry, and (c) 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 surface of the inner peripheral portion of the heat sink member and the 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 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 against the outer peripheral portion of the light transmissive structure for emission of light into the volume formed by the light transmissive structure.
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Specification