LAMP ASSEMBLY

• US 20110043120A1
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Teledyne Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Panagotacos, George W., Pelka, David G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,358,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/224
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/04 the lighting devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/06 for indicating aircraft presence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/005 with keying means, i.e. for enabling the assembling of component parts in distinctive positions, e.g. for preventing wrong mounting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/12 by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0035 the fastening means being capable of simultaneously attaching of an other part, e.g. a housing portion or an optical component
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0055 by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/005 the substrate is supporting also the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• 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 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/10 for land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/17 for motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/30 for aircraft
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/50 responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/56 involving measures to prevent abnormal temperature of the LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 : Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A lamp assembly including one or more light emitting diode (LED) arrays and a controller circuit to output a current to the one or more LED arrays. Each LED array includes at least one LED and defines a spatial radiation pattern having a first central axis. The lamp assembly also includes a lens array to redirect light received from the one or more LED arrays, a base and a light-transmissive cover. For each one of the one or more LED arrays, the lens array includes a total internal reflection (TIR) lens defining a second central axis aligned with the first central axis of the corresponding LED array. The TIR lens is configured to distribute light received from the LED array from an output face of the TIR lens such that the distributed light defines optical paths that are convergent, divergent or collimated with respect to the second central axis. The base includes a first surface to receive the one or more LED arrays, the controller circuit and the lens array. The base also includes a second surface structured to be removably received by a lamp holder. The light-transmissive cover is attached to the base and disposed over the first surface thereof such that the one or more LED arrays, the controller circuit and the lens array are contained between the cover and the base.

Claims

1. A lamp assembly, comprising:

one or more light emitting diode (LED) arrays, wherein each one of the one or more LED arrays comprises at least one LED and defines a spatial radiation pattern having a first central axis;

a controller circuit to output a current to the one or more LED arrays;

a lens array to redirect light received from the one or more LED arrays, wherein the lens array comprises, for each one of the one or more LED arrays, a total internal reflection (TIR) lens defining a second central axis aligned with the first central axis of the corresponding LED array, the TIR lens to distribute light received from the corresponding LED array from an output face of the TIR lens, the distributed light defining optical paths that are convergent, divergent or collimated with respect to the second central axis;

a base comprising a first surface to receive the one or more LED arrays, the controller circuit and the lens array, and a second surface structured to be removably received by a lamp holder; and

a light-transmissive cover attached to the base and disposed over the first surface thereof such that the one or more LED arrays, the controller circuit and the lens array are contained between the cover and the base.

2. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more LED arrays comprise at least two LEDs connected in series.

3. The lamp assembly of claim 2, comprising four LED arrays.

4. The lamp assembly of claim 3, wherein each LED array comprises four LEDs.

5. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit comprises a DC-DC switching controller to output the current to the one or more LED arrays.

6. The lamp assembly of claim 5, wherein the DC-DC switching controller is configured to operate in a boost mode such that an output voltage of the DC-DC switching controller is greater than an input voltage of the DC-DC switching controller.

7. The lamp assembly of claim 5, wherein the DC-DC switching controller is configured to operate in a buck mode such that an output voltage of the DC-DC switching controller is less than an input voltage of the DC-DC switching controller.

8. The lamp assembly of claim 5, wherein the DC-DC switching controller is configured to operate in a buck-boost mode.

9. The lamp assembly of claim 6, wherein the output voltage of the DC-DC switching controller is about 45 VDC to 70 VDC, and wherein the input voltage of the DC-DC switching controller is about 4.5 VDC to 40 VDC.

10. The lamp assembly of claim 9, wherein the input voltage of the DC-DC controller is about 14 VDC.

11. The lamp assembly of claim 9, wherein the input voltage of the DC-DC controller is about 28 VDC.

12. The lamp assembly of claim 5, wherein the controller circuit comprises a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller to input a PWM waveform to a first control input of the DC-DC switching controller, wherein the DC-DC switching controller is to control the current to the one or more LED arrays based on the PWM waveform input to the first control input.

13. The lamp assembly of claim 5, wherein the controller circuit comprises a voltage controller to input a voltage to a second control input of the DC-DC switching controller, wherein the DC-DC switching controller is to control the current to the one or more LED arrays based on the voltage input to the second control input.

14. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit comprises an indicator to indicate an LED fault of the one or more LED arrays.

15. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit comprises a temperature sensor to sense an operating temperature of the lamp assembly, and wherein the controller circuit is to control the current to the one or more LED arrays based on the sensed operating temperature.

16. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the controller circuit is configured to shutdown when an input voltage to the controller circuit is less than a predetermined threshold value.

17. The lamp assembly of claim 16, wherein the predetermined threshold value is about 10 VDC.

18. The lamp assembly of claim 5, wherein the controller circuit comprises a bridge rectifier circuit to receive an input voltage having one of a first polarity and a second polarity and to generate an output voltage having a constant polarity, wherein the output voltage of the bridge rectifier circuit is an input voltage of the DC-DC switching controller.

19. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the cover and a TIR lens comprises a diffuser.

20. The lamp assembly of claim 19, wherein the diffuser comprises a microlens array.

21. The lamp assembly of claim 1, comprising a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector, wherein the first and second electrical connectors respectively extend through first and second apertures defined by the base, the first and second apertures extending between and connecting the first and second surfaces of the base, wherein a first end of each electrical connector is electrically connected to the controller circuit, and wherein a second end of each electrical connector is accessible from the second surface and configured electrically to connect to a corresponding electrical conductor of the lamp holder.

22. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the second surface is structured in accordance with parabolic aluminum reflector (PAR) lamp standard.

23. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface comprises a cooling structure for dissipating heat generated by the one or more LED arrays and the controller circuit.