LED lamp with central optical light guide

• US 7,111,972 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Tucker, Michael, Tessnow, Thomas, Coushaine, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsidulko, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/874,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20060012984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 362/555, 362543-545, 362/548, 362/549, 362/226, 362/234, 362/235, 362/240, 362/310, 362/364, 313/113, 313/114, 313/512, 439/619, 439/699.2
• US Class Current: 362/625
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/61 using light guides
• 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 17/101 permanently, e.g. welding, gluing or riveting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/12 by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An LED lamp assembly may be formed from a support plate with a first side and a second side. A plurality of LED light sources are arranged and mounted on the first side of the support plate. An axially extending, light transmissive, light guide having an input end with an area sufficient to span the mounted LED light sources, is disposed adjacent the LED light sources to capture their emitted light. The light guide has at least one light deflector. The input end of the light guide is disposed to receive light emitted by the LED light sources and to conduct such light axially through the light guide to the deflector for projection sideways at an angle to the axis so as to appear s if the deflecting surface is a light source.

Claims

1. An LED lamp assembly comprising:

a heat conductive support plate with a first side and a second side;

a plurality of LED light sources arranged and mounted on the first side of the support plate;

an axially extending, light transmissive, light guide having an input end with an area sufficient to span the mounted LED light sources, and at least one light deflector, the input end disposed adjacent the LED light sources to receive light emitted by the LED light sources and to conduct such light axially through the light guide to the deflector for projection sideways at an angle to the axis, and having an input coupler including a socket portion, the coupler having electrical connections extending from contacts supported in the socket to electrical connections made to circuit elements supported on the support plate.

2. An LED lamp assembly comprising:

a heat conductive support plate with a first side and a second side;

a plurality of LED light sources arranged and mounted on the first side of the support plate;

an axially extending, light transmissive, light guide having an input end with an area sufficient to span the mounted LED light sources, and at least one light deflector, the input end disposed adjacent the LED light sources to receive light emitted by the LED light sources and to conduct such light axially through the light guide to the deflector for projection sideways at an angle to the axis, and having a housing including a wall extending circumferentially around the light guide, and coupled the circuit board, the wall further supporting a mechanical coupler extending from the wall for attachment to an optical housing.

3. The LED lamp assembly in claim 2, wherein the wall, and circuit board define a cavity sufficient to retain a circuit element for electrically controlling the lamp.

4. An LED lamp assembly comprising:

a heat conductive support plate with a first side and a second side;

a plurality of LED light sources arranged and mounted on the first side of the support plate;

an axially extending, light transmissive, light guide having an input end with an area sufficient to span the mounted LED light sources, and at least one light deflector, the input end disposed adjacent the LED light sources to receive light emitted by the LED light sources and to conduct such light axially through the light guide to the deflector for projection sideways at an angle to the axis, and wherein a portion of the light guide extends into a passage formed in the circuit board and is mechanically coupled to the circuit board.

5. An LED lamp assembly comprising:

a heat conductive support plate with a first side and a second side;

a plurality of LED light sources arranged and mounted on the first side of the support plate;

an axially extending, light transmissive, light guide having an input end with an area sufficient to span the mounted LED light sources, and at least one light deflector, the input end disposed adjacent the LED light sources to receive light emitted by the LED light sources and to conduct such light axially through the light guide to the deflector for projection sideways at an angle to the axis, and wherein a portion of the light guide extends into a passage formed in the circuit board and is glued to the circuit board.

6. An LED lamp assembly comprising:

a heat conductive support plate with a first side and a second side;

a plurality of LED light sources arranged and mounted on the first side of the support plate;

an axially extending, light transmissive, light guide having an input end with an area sufficient to span the mounted LED light sources, and at least one light deflector, the input end disposed adjacent the LED light sources to receive light emitted by the LED light sources and to conduct such light axially through the light guide to the deflector for projection sideways at an angle to the axis, and wherein a portion of a mechanical coupler extends through a passage formed in the circuit board and is mechanically coupled to the light guide to secure the light guide to the circuit board.

7. An LED lamp assembly comprising:

a heat conductive support plate with a first side and a second side;

a plurality of LED light sources arranged and mounted on the first side of the support plate;

an axially extending, light transmissive, light guide having an input end with an area sufficient to span the mounted LED light sources, and at least one light deflector, the input end disposed adjacent the LED light sources to receive light emitted by the LED light sources and to conduct such light axially through the light guide to the deflector for projection sideways at an angle to the axis, and wherein the mechanical coupler is a threaded coupler coupled axially to the light guide.

8. An LED lamp assembly comprising:

a heat conductive support plate with a first side and a second side;

a plurality of LED light sources arranged and mounted on the first side of the support plate;

an axially extending, light transmissive, light guide having an input end with an area sufficient to span the mounted LED light sources, and at least one light deflector, the input end disposed adjacent the LED light sources to receive light emitted by the LED light sources and to conduct such light axially through the light guide to the deflector for projection sideways at an angle to the axis, and wherein the light guide has a first mechanical registration feature, and the circuit board has a second and corresponding mechanical registration feature defining a preferred registration of the light guide with respect to the circuit board when the first registration feature is properly mated to the second registration feature.