Lamp housing with interior cooling by a thermoelectric device

• US 7,249,868 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varroc Lighting Systems S.R.O. (Varroc Engineering Limited)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Chinniah, Jeyachandrabose, Singh, Harvinder, Tarne, James D., Lyon, Paul A., Duszkiewicz, John A., Sayers, Mitchell E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar; Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US11/176,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 362/294, 362/373, 362/547, 362/345, 362/264
• US Class Current: 362/294
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/42 Forced cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/43 using gas
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/46 using liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/56 using liquid coolants F21V29/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/60 characterised by the use of a forced flow of gas, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A lamp system having a housing, wall portions defining a cavity and an opening. A light source, generally an LED, is located within the cavity and at least one thermoelectric device is disposed in one of the wall portions. The thermoelectric device has a first side oriented towards the cavity and the second side oriented away from the cavity. When in operation, the thermoelectric device will transfer heat from inside the cavity, via the first side of the thermoelectric device, to the second side of the thermoelectric device.

Claims

1. A lamp comprising:

a housing having wall portions defining a cavity and an opening;

a transparent lens cover coupled to the wall portions and covering the opening;

a light source located within the cavity;

at least one thermoelectric device located within one of the wall portions, the thermoelectric device having a first side oriented substantially towards the cavity and a second side oriented substantially away from the cavity, whereby the first side will transfer heat generated by the light source to the second side;

whereby the light source further comprises a lamp and a first heat exchanger, the lamp coupled to the first heat exchanger; and

a second heat exchanger coupled to the first side of the thermoelectric device, the second heat exchanger oriented substantially towards the first heat exchanger, thereby providing greater heat transfer between the first and second heat exchangers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wall portions further comprise a back wall, a first side wall and a second side wall.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger is a heat sink.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the lamp is a light emitting diode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second heat exchangers are vertical finned heat sinks.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third heat exchanger coupled to the second side of the thermoelectric module.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the heat exchanger is a heat sink.