LED-based luminaire

• US 7,918,591 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Permlight Products Inc
• Original Assignee: Permlight Products Inc
• Inventors: Lynch, Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): O Shea; Sandra L
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZETTL, MARY E
• Application Number:
  US11/434,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20070041220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 362/231, 362/240, 362/249, 362/365, 362/800, 257/99, 200/314, 361/679, 361/728, 361807-810, 361823-828
• US Class Current: 362/365
• 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: F21V 19/0055 by screwing
• 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 29/75 with fins or blades having different shapes, thicknesses or spacing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/773 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/89 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/16 square or rectangular, e.g. for light panels
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An LED-based luminaire includes a driver configured to convert line voltage into a desired power configuration. Elongate fasteners attach one or more LED-based lighting modules to a mount member and also to energized poles of the power driver. The fasteners communicate electrical energy from the power driver to the lighting module. In one embodiment, the mount member functions as a heat sink, and it includes a bumpy surface coating having a texture with sufficient feature heights to enhance heat transfer between the heat sink and the surrounding environment.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus, comprising:

a lighting module having;

at least one light emitting diode (LED);

a dielectric member; and

a plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed on the dielectric member, the contacts configured to mount the at least one LED to supply electrical current to the LED;

a mount member comprising a module receiving portion that engages the lighting module;

a power driver arranged on a side of the mount member generally opposite the lighting module, the driver adapted to receive power and condition the power to a desired state, the driver comprising first and second polarized connectors and a housing, the connectors being fully enclosed within the driver housing; and

first and second fasteners configured to electrically and physically engage the lighting module and the first and second polarized connectors, respectively, of the driver so as to secure the lighting module and driver onto the mount member with the mount member sandwiched between the lighting module and the driver, the fastener being electrically spaced from the mount member;

wherein the fastener is electrically conductive, and conducts electric power from the driver to a contact of the LED module.

2. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the driver comprises connectors that electrically and physically engage a pair of fasteners, the connectors being polarized, and the connectors are substantially enclosed within a driver housing.

3. The lighting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mount member has a pair of mounting apertures adapted to accommodate insulators and the fasteners so that the fasteners are electrically insulated from the mount member, and the fasteners physically and electrically engage positive and negative input contacts, respectively, of the lighting module.

4. The lighting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the mount member has a second pair of mounting apertures that accommodate the fasteners and lighting module in a second position on the mount member, and a footprint of the driver relative to the mount member is substantially the same whether the lighting module is attached in the first position or the second position.

5. The lighting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the driver has a substantially cylindrical housing.

6. The lighting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the driver comprises a plurality of pairs of bosses to electrically and physically secure the fasteners, and the driver and bosses are configured so that pairs of bosses are electrically in series relative to one another.

7. The lighting apparatus of claim 6, wherein a first lighting module has a first geometric shape, a second lighting module has a second geometric shape that is different from the first geometric shape, and the mount member and power supply are configured to accommodate the first and second lighting modules.

8. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mount member and driver are configured to accommodate a plurality of lighting modules, and the driver supplies electric power to each lighting module through a fastener that connects the driver to the respective module.

9. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mount member comprises a metal, and the metal mount member functions as a heat sink.

10. The lighting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mount member comprises a coating having a visibly bumpy surface texture so that the coated mount member surface has a greater average feature height than a surface that appears relatively flat.

11. The lighting apparatus of claim 10, wherein the mount member coating is substantially white.

12. The lighting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the mount member is powder coated.

13. The lighting apparatus of claim 12, wherein the powder coat increases the surface area of the mount member relative to a surface of the uncoated metal.

14. A lighting apparatus, comprising:

a lighting module having;

at least one light emitting diode (LED);

a dielectric member; and

a plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed on the dielectric member, the contacts configured to mount the at least one LED to supply electrical current to the LED;

a mount member having a module receiving portion that engages the lighting module;

a power driver arranged on a side of the mount member generally opposite the lighting module, the driver adapted to receive power and condition the power to a desired state; and

a pair of fasteners configured to engage the lighting module and the driver so as to secure the lighting module and driver onto the mount member with the mount member sandwiched between the lighting module and the driver, the fasteners being electrically spaced from the mount member;

wherein the fasteners are electrically conductive, and conduct electric power from the driver to a contact of the LED module;

wherein the driver comprises connectors that electrically and physically engage the pair of fasteners, the connectors being polarized, and the connectors are fully enclosed within a driver housing; and

wherein the fasteners and connectors are threaded so as to engage one another.

15. A luminaire adapted to be customized to a plurality of configurations, comprising:

a lighting module comprising a body, a plurality of electrically-conductive circuit traces, a positive and negative input trace each being configured to accept a positive and negative electrical input, respectively, and at least one light emitting diode (LED) attached to the traces so that electric power from the positive and negative input traces will flow through the LED;

a mount member comprising a lighting module mounting portion and a fixture mount portion, the mount member having a first pair of spaced apart mounting apertures and a second pair of spaced apart mounting apertures, each pair of mounting apertures being spaced a distance generally corresponding to a distance between the positive and negative input traces of the lighting module;

a power driver adapted to supply an output power to a pair of polarized output connectors;

a pair of electrically-conductive fasteners adapted to connect to the lighting module and power driver connectors so as to supply electric power from the polarized connectors to the positive and negative input traces of the lighting module;

wherein the driver and lighting module are attached to opposing sides of the mount member, and the fasteners extend through one of the first or second pairs of spaced apart mounting apertures of the mount member; and

wherein the driver has a first footprint shape upon the mount member when the fasteners are disposed through the first pair of mounting apertures, and a second footprint shape upon the mount member when the fasteners are disposed through the second pair of mounting apertures, and the first and second footprint shapes are substantially the same.

16. A lighting fixture as in claim 15, wherein the driver is substantially cylindrical in shape so as to have substantially the same footprint shape even when rotated upon the mount member.

17. A luminaire adapted to be customized to a plurality of configurations, comprising:

a lighting module comprising a body, a plurality of electrically-conductive circuit traces, a positive and negative input trace each being configured to accept a positive and negative electrical input, respectively, and a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) attached to the traces so that electric power from the positive and negative input traces will flow through the LED;

a mount member comprising a lighting module mounting portion and a fixture mount portion, the mount member having a first pair of spaced apart mounting apertures and a second pair of spaced apart mounting apertures, each pair of mounting apertures being spaced a distance generally corresponding to a distance between the positive and negative input traces of the lighting module;

a power driver adapted to supply an output power to a pair of polarized output connectors;

a pair of electrically-conductive fasteners adapted to connect to the lighting module and power driver connectors so as to supply electric power from the polarized connectors to the positive and negative input traces of the lighting module;

wherein the driver and lighting module are attached to opposing sides of the mount member, and the fasteners extend through one of the first or second pairs of spaced apart mounting apertures of the mount member, and a light pattern emitted by the lighting fixture when the module is fastened into place via the first pair of mount apertures is substantially different than a light pattern emitted by the lighting fixture when the module is fastened into place via the second pair of mount apertures.

18. A lighting apparatus, comprising:

a lighting module having;

at least one light emitting diode (LED);

a dielectric member; and

a plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed on the dielectric member, the contacts configured to mount the at least one LED to supply electrical current to the LED;

a mount member having a module receiving portion that engages the lighting module;

a power driver arranged on a side of the mount member generally opposite the lighting module, the driver adapted to receive power and condition the power to a desired state; and

a pair of fasteners configured to engage the lighting module and the driver so as to secure the lighting module and driver onto the mount member with the mount member sandwiched between the lighting module and the driver, the fasteners being electrically spaced from the mount member, each of the fasteners comprising an elongate threaded shank and a head;

wherein the power driver comprises connectors that electrically and physically engage the pair of fasteners, the connectors being polarized, and the connectors being fully enclosed within a driver housing;

wherein the fasteners are electrically conductive, and conduct electric power from the driver to a contact of the LED module; and

wherein the mount member has a pair of mounting apertures adapted to accommodate insulators and the fasteners so that the fasteners are electrically insulated from the mount member, and the fasteners physically and electrically engage positive and negative input contacts, respectively, of the lighting module.

19. The lighting apparatus of claim 18, wherein the head of a first one of the fasteners is sized and configured to engage the positive input contact of the lighting module, and the head of a second one of the fasteners is sized and configured to engage the negative input contact of the lighting module, and the shanks of the fasteners are sized and configured to engage respective ones of the driver connectors.

20. A lighting fixture, comprising:

a mounting base;

a lighting module comprising at least one light emitting diode (LED), a positive contact, a negative contact, and a mount body, the at least one LED adapted to be powered by electric power flowing between the positive and negative contacts;

a power driver being enclosed within a power driver housing, the power driver adapted to accept an input electric power and condition the input power to create a desired output electric power, the driver comprising a pair of polarized connectors energized with the output electric power, the polarized connectors being being fully enclosed within the power driver housing;

a plurality of fasteners, each fastener having an elongate shank and a head, the heads configured to electrically engage the positive and negative contacts, respectively, so that the fasteners electrically connect the positive and negative contacts of the lighting module to respective polarized connectors of the power driver;

a light modifying apparatus arranged adjacent the lighting module; and

a fixture housing at least partially enclosing the lighting module, light modifying apparatus, and at least a portion of the base;

wherein the lighting module and driver are disposed on opposing sides of the mounting base, the mounting base is sandwiched between the lighting module and the driver, and the fasteners physically connect the lighting module, driver, and mounting base.

21. A lighting fixture as in claim 20, wherein the light modifying apparatus comprises a kinoform transform.

22. A lighting fixture as in claim 21, wherein the lighting module comprises a plurality of LEDs, and the light modifying apparatus comprises a plurality of kinoform transforms, and wherein a kinoform transform is arranged generally corresponding to each of the plurality of LEDs.

23. A lighting fixture as in claim 20, wherein the fasteners are electrically insulated from the mounting base.

24. The lighting fixture of claim 20, wherein the module mount body and the mounting base comprise a conductive metal, and the mount body and mounting base engage one another, and the fasteners are electrically insulated relative to the mounting base and the module mount body.