Light fixture assembly having improved heat dissipation capabilities

• US 7,980,736 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inteltech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inteltech Corporation
• Inventors: Stepps, Dale B., Soderman, Daryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward; John A
• Application Number:
  US11/985,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20090122553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 362/249.01, 362/249.02, 362/145, 362/404, 362/373, 362/294
• US Class Current: 362/373
• 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 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A light fixture assembly including an illumination assembly in the form of one or more light emitting diodes is interconnected to an electrical energy source by control circuitry. A mounting assembly supports the illumination assembly and a cover structure is disposed in heat transferring relation to the mounting assembly, wherein both the mounting assembly and the cover structure are formed of conductive material, thereby effectively dissipating the heat generated by the LED illumination assembly. The illumination assembly is connected to a source and electric energy by a conductor assembly comprising one or more conductive material connectors mechanically interconnecting components of the light fixture into an assembled orientation. A non-conductive insulation assembly isolates each of the one or more conductive connectors from the mounting assembly to avoid electrical contact there between.

Claims

1. A light fixture assembly having heat dissipating capabilities, said light fixture assembly comprising:

an illumination assembly,

a mounting assembly disposed in supporting engagement with said illumination assembly,

said mounting assembly formed of a heat conductive material and disposed in heat transferring engagement with said illumination assembly, said mounting assembly structured to dissipate heat from said illumination assembly,

a cover structure formed of a heat conductive material and connected in heat transferring engagement with said mounting assembly, said cover structure disposed and structured to dissipate heat from said mounting assembly,

correspondingly positioned surfaces of said mounting assembly and said cover structure disposed in substantially continuously confronting and heat transferring engagement with one another over a majority of said mounting assembly,

said illumination assembly disposed in direct confronting, heat transferring engagement with said correspondingly positioned surface of said mounting assembly,

said heat conductive material of each of said cover structure and said mounting assembly being sufficiently heat conductive to collectively define a heat sink, and

said cover structure and said mounting assembly defining said heat sink being disposed and structured to collectively dissipate heat away from said illumination assembly, and

said illumination assembly and said cover structure relatively disposed and cooperatively structured to direct light outwardly from an exposed, outer surface of said cover structure.

2. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said correspondingly positioned surfaces of said mounting assembly and said cover structure are correspondingly configured to facilitate said substantially continuous confronting engagement with one another.

3. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein said correspondingly positioned surface of said mounting assembly comprises a smaller transverse dimension than that of said cover structure, said mounting assembly and said cover structure each including a stepped configuration extending over at least a majority of said smaller transverse dimension of said mounting structure, said stepped configurations of said cover structure and said mounting assembly being correspondingly disposed and dimensioned for mating engagement with one another.

4. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said stepped configuration of said mounting assembly and said cover structure each comprise a plurality of annular steps concentrically disposed relative to one another, each of said plurality of annular steps extending along at least said smaller transverse dimension of said mounting assembly.

5. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said plurality of annular steps of said mounting assembly and said cover structure are disposed in concentrically surrounding relation to said illumination assembly.

6. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein respective ones of said plurality of annular steps of said mounting assembly and said cover structure are disposed in non-planar relation to one another.

7. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said mounting assembly comprises a plate-like configuration defining a mounting plate, said illuminating assembly, said mounting plate and said cover structure are connected in substantially parallel, co-axial relation to one another.

8. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said cover structure comprises an outer periphery disposed in outwardly spaced, substantially surrounding relation to said mounting plate.

9. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said illumination assembly is substantially centrally disposed on said mounting assembly in surrounded relation by an outer periphery of said mounting plate.

10. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said cover structure is disposed in substantially co-axial relation to said mounting plate and includes an outer peripheral edge disposed radially outward in spaced, surrounding relation to said outer periphery of said mounting assembly.

11. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said illumination assembly and said cover structure are relatively disposed and cooperatively structured to direct light outwardly from an exposed, outer surface of said cover structure.

12. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said cover structure comprises an apertured construction including at least one aperture disposed in substantially aligned, receiving relation with said illumination assembly.

13. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein said one aperture is further disposed and dimensioned to facilitate disposition of said illumination assembly within said one aperture and passage of light outwardly from an exposed surface of said cover structure.

14. A light fixture assembly having heat dissipating capabilities, said light fixture assembly comprising:

an illumination assembly,

a mounting assembly connected in supporting engagement with said illumination assembly,

said mounting assembly formed of a heat conductive material and disposed in heat transferring engagement with said illumination assembly, said mounting assembly structured to dissipate heat from said illumination assembly,

a cover structure formed of a heat conductive material and connected in confronting heat transferring engagement with said mounting assembly, said cover structure disposed and structured to dissipate heat from said mounting assembly,

correspondingly positioned surfaces of said mounting assembly and said cover structure being correspondingly configured and disposed in mating relation with one another,

said heat conductive material of each of said cover structure and said mounting assembly being sufficiently heat conductive to collectively define a heat sink,

said cover assembly and said mounting assembly defining said heat sink collectively disposed and structured to dissipate heat from said illumination assembly,

said mating relation of said correspondingly positioned surfaces being defined by a continuous confronting engagement with one another over a least a majority of said corresponding surface of said mounting assembly,

said illumination assembly disposed in direct confronting, heat transferring engagement with said correspondingly positioned surface of said mounting assembly, and

said illumination assembly, said mounting assembly and said cover structure relatively disposed to facilitate a passage of light from said illumination assembly outwardly from an exteriorly disposed surface of said cover structure.

15. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein said exteriorly disposed surface of said cover structure is oppositely disposed relative to said correspondingly positioned surface of said cover structure.

16. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein said mounting assembly comprising a plate-like configuration defining a mounting plate, said mounting plate comprising a smaller transverse dimension than said cover structure.

17. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 16 wherein said correspondingly positioned surfaces of said mounting plate and said cover structure each include a stepped configuration extending over at least a majority of said transverse dimension of said mounting plate correspondingly disposed and dimensioned to facilitate said mating relation with one another.

18. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 17 wherein said stepped configuration of said mounting plate and said cover structure each comprise a plurality of annular steps concentrically disposed relative to one another each of said plurality of annular steps of said mounting plate and said cover structure being disposed in a radially outward, concentrically surrounding relation to said illumination assembly and in non-planar relation to one another.

19. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein said cover structure comprises an apertured construction including at least one aperture disposed in substantially aligned receiving relation with said illumination assembly.

20. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 19 wherein said one aperture is further disposed and dimensioned to facilitate passage of light outwardly from an exposed, outer surface of said cover structure.

21. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein said illumination assembly comprises at least one LED disposed in heat transferring relation to said mounting assembly.

22. A light fixture assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein said illumination assembly comprises a plurality of LEDs each disposed in heat transferring relation to said mounting assembly.