LED lighting fixture

• US 7,686,469 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ruud Lighting Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Guillien, Wayne, Ruud, Alan J., Wilcox, Kurt, Walczak, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, ANABEL
• Application Number:
  US11/860,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20080080196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 362/800, 362/294, 362/373, 362/249.11, 362/249.02, 362/101
• US Class Current: 362/101
• 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 9/20 Light sources comprising attachment means
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/033 the surface being a wall or like vertical structure, e.g. building facade
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/086 with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/013 the housing being an extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/003 Fastening of light source holders, e.g. of circuit boards or substrates holding light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/04 with provision for changing light source, e.g. turret auxiliary devices for cleaning, placing, or removing incandescent lamps H01K3/32, fluorescent lamps H01J9/006
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/005 for several lighting devices in an end-to-end arrangement, i.e. light tracks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/009 the casing being inside the housing of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 27/00 Cable-stowing arrangements structurally associated with lighting devices, e.g. reels storing lengths of cable in general B65H; the lighting devices being vehicle headlamps F21S41/192; the lighting devices being vehicle lights F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/507 of means for protecting lighting devices from damage, e.g. housings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/71 using a combination of separate elements interconnected by heat-conducting means, e.g. with heat pipes or thermally conductive bars between separate heat-sink elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/75 with fins or blades having different shapes, thicknesses or spacing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 : the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/03 : with provision for venting for vehicle head lights F21S45/33; for vehicle rear lights F21S41/192
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/10 : Outdoor lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 : of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/40 : Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use
• 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: Y10S 362/80 : Light emitting diode

Abstract

An LED floodlight fixture including a housing that forms a substantially water/air-tight chamber, electronic LED driver(s) within the chamber, and an LED assembly secured with respect to the housing adjacent thereto in non-water/air-tight condition, the LED assembly having at least one LED-array module mounted on an LED heat sink. In certain preferred embodiments the housing is a perimetrical structure such that the substantially water-tight chamber substantially surrounds the LED assembly.

Claims

1. An LED lighting fixture comprising:

a housing forming a substantially water/air-tight chamber and including first and second border structures forming first and second border-portions of the chamber;

at least one electronic LED driver enclosed within the chamber; and

an LED assembly outside the chamber to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly which includes (a) at least one LED-array module mounted on (b) an elongate extruded LED heat sink that extends along a side of the housing and has a base with an LED-engaging surface and an opposite heat-transfer surface extending between two heat-sink ends with one end being interlocked with the first border structure and the other end being interlocked with the second border structure, the first border structure receiving wires from the LED-array module; and

an interlock of the side of the housing with at least one of the heat-sink ends to secure the LED assembly to the housing, the interlock forming a venting gap between the heat-sink end and the housing to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly.

2. An LED lighting fixture comprising:

a housing forming a substantially closed chamber and including a first and second border structures, the first border structure having a first border-portion of the chamber;

an LED assembly outside the chamber to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly which includes at least one LED-array module mounted on an elongate extruded LED heat sink that extends along the housing and has a base with an LED-engaging surface and an opposite heat-transfer surface extending between two heat-sink ends, with the heat sink being secured with one end at the first border structure and the other end at the second border structure, the LED-array module being electrically connected at the first border structure.

3. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 wherein the LED assembly includes a plurality of LED modules separately mounted on individual interconnected heat sinks, each heat sink further having:

a female side-fin and a male side-fin, one along each of two opposite sides of the base and each protruding from the opposite heat-transfer surface to terminate at a distal fin-edge, the female side-fin including a flange hook positioned to engage the distal fin-edge of the male side-fin of an adjacent heat sink; and

at least one inner-fin protruding from the opposite surface between the side-fins.

4. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 wherein:

the heat sink has fins protruding from the opposite heat-transfer surface; and

a restraining bracket is secured to the housing and having a plurality of projections extending between adjacent pairs of fins of the heat sink, thereby to secure the LED assembly.

5. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 wherein the housing includes substantially water/air-tight wire-access(s) receiving wires from the LED assembly into the chamber.

6. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 further comprising a mounting assembly secured to the housing, the mounting assembly includes:

a pole-attachment portion; and

a substantially water/air-tight section enclosing electrical connections and having at least one wire-aperture communicating with the water/air-tight chamber, the housing being in water/air-tight engagement with the water/air-tight section of the pole-mounting assembly.

7. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 further including a protective cover extending over the LED assembly and secured with respect to the housing, the protective cover having perforations permitting flow therethrough.

8. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 wherein the housing further includes a frame structure forming a frame-portion of the chamber and secured to the first border structure, the frame structure extending along the LED assembly.

9. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 wherein the housing further includes a frame structure secured to the first and second border structures.

10. The LED lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the housing is a perimetrical structure configured for wall mounting and includes the first and second border structures on opposed perimetrical sides and the frame structure secured on a perimetrical side between the border structures.

11. The LED lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the housing is a perimetrical structure and the closed chamber substantially surrounds the LED assembly.

12. The LED lighting fixture of claim 11 wherein the perimetrical structure is substantially rectangular and includes the first and second border structures and a pair of opposed frame structures each secured to the first and second border structures.

13. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 further including an interlock of a side of the housing with at least one of the heat-sink ends to secure the LED assembly to the housing, the interlock forming a venting gap between the heat-sink end and the housing to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly and having:

a slotted cavity extending along the side of the housing; and

a cavity-engaging coupler which extends from the heat sink of the LED assembly and is received within the slotted cavity.

14. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 wherein the chamber is substantially water/air-tight.

15. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 including at least one electronic driver within the chamber.

16. The LED lighting fixture of claim 15 wherein the chamber is substantially water/air-tight.

17. An LED lighting fixture comprising:

a housing forming a substantially water/air-tight chamber and including first and second border structures forming first and second border-portions of the chamber;

at least one electronic LED driver enclosed within the chamber; and

an LED assembly outside the chamber to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly which includes (a) at least one LED-array module mounted on (b) an elongate extruded LED heat sink that extends along a side of the housing and has a base with an LED-engaging surface and an opposite heat-transfer surface extending between two heat-sink ends, with the heat sink being secured with one end at the first border structure and the other end at the second border structure, the LED-array module being electrically connected at the first border structure.

18. An LED lighting fixture comprising a housing and an LED assembly secured with respect to the housing to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly which includes a plurality of LED-array modules separately mounted on individual interconnected elongate extruded heat sinks that extend along the housing, each heat sink having:

a base with an LED-engaging surface and an opposite heat-transfer surface extending between two heat-sink ends,

a female side-fin and a male side-fin, one along each of two opposite sides of the base and each protruding from the heat-transfer surface to terminate at a distal fin-edge, the female side-fin including a flange hook positioned to engage the distal fin-edge of the male side-fin of an adjacent heat sink; and

at least one inner-fin protruding from the opposite surface between the side-fins.

19. The LED lighting fixture of claim 18 including an interlock of the housing with at least one of the heat-sink ends to secure the LED assembly to the housing, the interlock forming a venting gap between the heat-sink end and the housing to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly.

20. An LED lighting fixture comprising:

a housing including a first and second border structures;

an LED assembly secured with respect to the housing to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly which includes at least one LED-array module mounted on an elongate extruded LED heat sink that extends along the housing and has a base with an LED-engaging surface and an opposite heat-transfer surface extending between two heat-sink ends, with the heat sink being secured with one end at the first border structure and the other end at the second border structure; and

the heat-sink end and adjacent border structure define an air gap therebetween.

21. The LED lighting fixture of claim 20 wherein the LED-array module being electrically connected at the first border structure.

22. The LED lighting fixture of claim 21 wherein the housing forms a substantially closed chamber.

23. The LED lighting fixture of claim 22 including at least one electronic driver within the chamber.

24. The LED lighting fixture of claim 23 wherein the chamber is substantially water/air-tight.