High flux led lamp

• US 7,520,628 B1
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sloan Company Incorporated (Sloan), Sloanled Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sloanled Incorporated
• Inventors: Quaal, Bruce, Sloan, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Gunyoung T.
• Application Number:
  US10/971,841
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 362/101, 362/96, 362/294, 362/373, 257/100, 257/99, 257/98, 438/106, 438/112, 438124-127, 438/25, 438/26
• US Class Current: 362/101
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/14 Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/148 Lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/024 intended to be recessed in a wall or like vertical structure, e.g. building facade
• 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 27/02 Cable inlets
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/85 characterised by the material liquid coolants F21V29/56
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/04 Provision of filling media
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/004 Sanitary equipment, e.g. mirrors, showers, toilet seats or paper dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A high-power LED lamp comprises a cylindrical housing having a cavity and an open end with the housing made of a heat conductive material. One or more high power LEDs are mounted within the cavity such that at least some of the light from the LEDs is directed out the open end of the housing. An encapsulating material fills the cavity and surrounds the LEDs with the encapsulating material providing a waterproof covering over the LEDs and at least partially transmitting light from the LEDs out the opening. Heat from the LEDs conducts away from the LEDs and through the encapsulating material and the housing to dissipate in the ambient around the lamp.

Claims

1. A high-power light emitting diode (LED) lamp, comprising:

a mounting mechanism to mount said lamp to a pool/spa or a pool/spa device;

a removable cylindrical housing having a cavity and an open end, a groove around a perimeter of an inside surface of said cavity proximate to said open end for mounting a replaceable lens therein, said housing made of a heat conductive material;

one or more high power LEDs disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB), said PCB mounted to said housing within said cavity using a thermally conductive bonding material such that at least some of the light from said LEDs is directed out said open end of said housing; and

an encapsulating material substantially filling said cavity, said encapsulating material encasing said LEDs and portions of said PCB and contacting said inside surface of said cavity, said encapsulating material providing a waterproof covering over said LEDs and at least partially transmitting light from said LEDs out said opening, heat from said LEDs conducting away from said LEDs and through said encapsulating material and said housing to dissipate in the ambient around said lamp.

2. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said LEDs are mounted within said cavity by a conductive adhesive between said LEDs and said housing, said conductive adhesive also conducting heat away from said LEDs to said housing to dissipate in the ambient around said lamp.

3. The lamp of claim 2, wherein said conductive adhesive is a carbon epoxy.

4. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said LEDs operate at a lower temperature compared to the same LEDs not mounted within said housing and not covered by said encapsulating material.

5. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said housing has a hole opposite said open end, said hole arranged so that a wire can pass into said housing to provide electrical power to said LEDs.

6. The lamp of claim 5, further comprising a sealant to provide a watertight seal between said hole and said wire.

7. The lamp of claim 6, wherein said sealant comprises a grommet.

8. The lamp of claim 1, said thermally conductive bonding material also conducting heat away from said LEDs to said housing to dissipate in the ambient around said lamp.

9. The lamp of claim 1, said replaceable lens arranged to alter the characteristics of the light emitted by said LEDs.

10. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said mounting mechanism comprises threads on an outside surface of said housing arranged to mate with threads in said pool/spa or pool/spa device.

11. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a flange and wherein said mounting mechanism comprises threads on an outside surface of said housing and a nut having threads to mate with said housing threads, said nut turning onto said housing to sandwich a portion of said pool/spa or pool/spa device between said nut and said flange.

12. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said housing fits closely within a hole in said pool/spa or pool/spa device, said mounting mechanism comprising bonding said housing within said hole.

13. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said housing is made of a metal or a plastic.

14. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said encapsulating material comprises an epoxy.

15. A pool/spa system, comprising:

a reservoir capable of holding water;

a plurality of water inlets mounted around said reservoir to provide a stream of water into said reservoir;

a water pump system that circulates water from said reservoir to said inlets;

a high-power light emitting diode (LED) lamp mounted within at least one of said water inlets to illuminate the stream of water provided into said reservoir, said LED lamp comprising;

a removable cylindrical housing having a cavity and an open end, a groove around a perimeter of an inside surface of said cavity proximate to said open end for mounting a replaceable lens therein, said housing made of a heat conductive material;

one or more high power LEDs disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB), said PCB mounted to said housing within said cavity using a thermally conductive bonding material such that at least some of the light from said LEDs is directed out said open end of said housing and into the stream of water;

an encapsulating material substantially filling said cavity, encasing said LEDs and portions of said PCB, and covering at least part of said inside surface of said cavity, said encapsulating material providing a waterproof covering over said LEDs and portions of said PCB and at least partially transmitting light from said LEDs out said opening, heat from said LEDs conducting away from said LEDs and through said encapsulating material and said housing to dissipate.

16. The system of claim 15, said thermally conductive bonding material also conducting heat away from said LEDs to said housing to dissipate in the ambient around said lamp.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said LEDs operate at a lower temperature compared to the same LEDs not mounted within said housing and not covered by said encapsulating material.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said housing has a hole opposite said open end, said hole arranged so that a wire can pass into said housing through said hole to provide electrical power to said LEDs.

19. The system of claim 15, said replaceable lens arranged to alter the characteristics of the light emitted by said LEDs.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising a mounting mechanism to mount said lamp to said inlet.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said mounting mechanism comprises threads on an outside surface of said housing arranged to mate with threads in said inlet.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said housing fits closely within a hole in said inlet, said mounting mechanism comprising bonding said housing within said hole.

23. A pool/spa system, comprising:

a reservoir capable of holding water;

a plurality of light holes around said reservoir;

a high-power light emitting diode (LED) lamp mounted within at least one of said light holes to illuminate the water within said reservoir, said LED lamp comprising;

a removable cylindrical housing having a cavity and an open end, a groove around a perimeter of an inside surface of said cavity proximate to said open end for mounting a replaceable lens therein, said housing made of a heat conductive material;

one or more high power LEDs disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB), said PCB mounted to said housing within said cavity using a thermally conductive bonding material such that at least some of the light from said LEDs is directed out said open end of said housing and into said reservoir;

an encapsulating material substantially filling said cavity and encasing said LEDs and portions of said PCB, and covering at least part of said cavity, said encapsulating material providing a waterproof covering over said LEDs and portions of said PCB and at least partially transmitting light from said LEDs out said opening, heat from said LEDs conducting away from said LEDs and through said encapsulating material and said housing to dissipate.

24. The system of claim 23, said thermally conductive bonding material also conducting heat away from said LEDs to said housing to dissipate in the ambient around said lamp.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said LEDs operate at a lower temperature compared to the same LEDs not mounted within said housing and not covered by said encapsulating material.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said housing has a hole opposite said open end, said hole arranged so that a wire can pass into said housing through said hole to provide electrical power to said LEDs.

27. The system of claim 23, said replaceable lens arranged to alter the characteristics of the light emitted by said LEDs.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising a mounting mechanism to mount said lamp within said at least one of said light holes.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said mounting mechanism comprises threads on an outside surface of said housing arranged to mate with threads in.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein said housing fits closely within its said hole, said mounting mechanism comprising bonding said housing within said hole.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein said housing further comprises a flange and wherein said mounting mechanism comprises threads on an outside surface of said housing and a nut having threads to mate with said housing threads, said nut turning onto said housing to sandwich a portion of said reservoir between said nut and said flange.