ENERGY CONSUMING DEVICE AND ASSEMBLY

• US 20140293544A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Molex Incorporated
• Inventors: Zaderej, Victor V., McGowan, Daniel B, Serwacki, Megan E
• Granted Patent: US 9,301,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/709
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/53 Modular mounting systems, e.g. using tracks, rails or multiple plugs
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/20 Light sources comprising attachment means
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/038 intended to be mounted on a light track suspended from a light track F21S8/066; details of supporting elements displaceable along a guiding element F21V21/34
• 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 17/105 using magnets
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0015 Fastening arrangements intended to retain light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/00 Supporting, suspending, or attaching arrangements for lighting devices F21V17/00, F21V19/00 take precedence; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q, stands for supporting apparatus or articles in general F16M11/00; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/096 Magnetic devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/35 with direct electrical contact between the supporting element and electric conductors running along the guiding element
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/008 the casing being outside the housing of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/713 in direct thermal and mechanical contact of each other to form a single system
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/301 for furniture
• 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: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/147 Low voltage devices, i.e. safe to touch live conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/12 Resilient or clamping means for holding component to structure
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2039 : characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 : Light emitting diode

Abstract

An energy consumption device includes a housing that supports a first and second terminal. An energy consuming module, which may include a light emitting diode array, is supported by the housing and is thermally coupled to a thermal bridge that extends below a lower surface of the housing. A cover can be positioned so as to secure the energy consuming module between the cover and the housing. A plurality of magnets can be configured to secure the energy consumption device to a rail that supports powered contacts so that the first and second terminals engage the powered contacts and the thermal bridge is pressed against the rail.

Claims

1. An energy consuming device, comprising:

a housing with lower surface, an aperture in the lower surface, at least one magnetic mount and a first and second terminal aperture;

a first and second terminal respectively position in the first and second terminal aperture so that a portion of the first and second terminal extend below the lower surface;

an energy consuming module positioned in the aperture and electrically coupled to the first and second terminal;

a thermal bridge mounted on one side of the energy consuming module, the thermal bridge extending below the lower surface;

a magnet positioned in the magnetic mount; and

a cover mounted to the housing, the cover extending over the magnet so as to occlude the magnet.

2. The energy consuming device of claim 1, wherein the energy consuming module is an LED array positioned on a plate.

3. The energy consuming device of claim 2, wherein the thermal bridge is compressible and is configured to extend below the lower surface a distance of at least 0.6 mm and the magnet is a first magnet position in a first magnet mount, the energy consumption device including a second magnet mounted in a second magnet mount, the first and second magnet aligned with and electrically separated from the powered contacts.

4. The energy consuming device of claim 3, wherein the cover and the housing cooperatively provide an internal volume and the first and second terminal are positioned in the terminal apertures such that dust entering into the terminal apertures is sealed from entering into the internal volume.

5. An illumination system comprising:

a rail with a base wall, and a first and second power contact; and

the energy consuming device of claim 2 mounted on the rail, the thermal bridge being pressed against the base between the first and second powered contact.

6. The illumination system of claim 5, wherein the first and second terminal respectively contact the first and second powered contact and the thermal bridge is configured to press against the base wall with a force sufficient to provide at least 3 PSI.

7. The illumination system of claim 6, wherein a thermal resistance between the LED array and the base wall is less than 3 C/W.

8. The illumination system of claim 7, wherein the thermal resistance is less than 2 C/W.

9. An energy consumption system, comprising:

a rail have a base and two walls that extend above the base a first distance, the base supporting two power contacts spaced apart in a parallel configuration, the power contacts electrically isolated from the rail and extending above the base a second distance, the first distance being at least five times the second distance; and

an energy consumption device mounted on the rail, the energy consumption device having a thermal bridge configured to engage the base between the two power contacts and having at least one magnet that urges the energy consumption device toward the rail such that the thermal bridge is under a compressive force.

10. The energy consumption system of claim 9, wherein the power consumption device extends a third distance above the base, the third distance being at least five times the second distance.

11. The energy consumption system of claim 10, wherein the first distance and third distance are both at least ten times the second distance.

12. The energy consumption system of claim 11, wherein the second distance is less than 1 mm.

13. The energy consumption system of claim 9, further comprising a power supply.

14. The energy consumption system of claim 13, wherein the power supply is coupled via magnetic force to the rail.

15. The energy consumption system of claim 9, wherein the energy consumption device is a light emitting diode (LED) module configured to emit light.

16. The energy consumption system of claim 15, wherein the two walls are less than 60 mm apart and the first distance is at least ten times the second distance.

17. The energy consumption system of claim 16, wherein the LED module provides at least 250 lumens.

18. The energy consumption system of claim 17, wherein the LED module extends a third distance above the base and the third distance is less than 20 times the second distance.

19. The energy consumption system of claim 18, wherein the first distance is less than 20 times the second distance.

20. The energy consumption system of claim 19, wherein the second distance is less than 1 mm.