Self-ballasted solid state lighting devices

• US 8,057,070 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pickard, Paul Kenneth, Van De Ven, Antony Paul, Negley, Gerald H., Chan, Wai Kwan, Myers, Peter Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): DZIERZYNSKI, EVAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/947,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20080130298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 362/294, 362/373
• US Class Current: 362/294
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/026 intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/507 of means for protecting lighting devices from damage, e.g. housings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/713 in direct thermal and mechanical contact of each other to form a single system
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/745 the fins or blades being planar and inclined with respect to the joining surface from which the fins or blades extend
• 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: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A lighting device, comprising a light engine housing, a light engine comprising one or more solid state light emitters, a diffuser and an energy forwarding element which receives AC voltage and supplies power to the light engine. The light engine housing comprises an electrical connection region which is engageable with an electricity supply device. The light engine housing comprises a first compartment, in which the light engine is positioned and a second compartment. The light engine housing comprises a flange region. The first compartment has an opening which is covered by the diffuser. The lighting device can be mounted such the only elements which are visible from a room are the flange region, a front side of the diffuser and any portion of the first compartment which is between the opening and the open end of the light engine housing. The light engine housing can comprise heat-dissipating fins.

Claims

1. A lighting device, comprising:

a light engine housing;

means for generating light;

a diffuser; and

means for forwarding energy,

said light engine housing comprising means for receiving AC voltage,

said light engine housing comprising a first compartment and a second compartment,

said light engine housing comprising a flange region which surrounds an open end of the light engine housing,

said means for generating light within said first compartment of said light engine housing,

said means for generating light comprising at least a first solid state light emitter,

said means for forwarding energy within said second compartment of said light engine housing, said means for forwarding energy electrically connected to said means for receiving AC voltage, said means for forwarding energy electrically connected to said means for generating light, said means for forwarding energy comprising means for converting power of an AC voltage to DC current which, if supplied to said means for generating light, will cause said means for generating light to emit light,

said first compartment having an opening which is covered by said diffuser, whereby at least a portion of light emitted by said first solid state light emitter which travels toward said opening will pass through said diffuser and then through said open end of said light engine housing to exit from said light engine housing,

whereby if said lighting device is mounted in a hole in a structure such that at least a portion of a back side of said flange region is in contact with a region of said first side of said structure which surrounds said hole, and a remainder of said light engine housing is on an opposite side of said hole relative to said flange region, the only elements which would be visible within a field defined by an outer periphery of said flange region of said light engine housing from a vantage point which is in a region which is to said first side of said structure would be a front side of said flange region, a front side of said diffuser and any portion of said first compartment which is between said opening and said open end.

2. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for receiving AC voltage is engageable in an Edison socket or comprises a GU24 base.

3. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first solid state light emitter comprises an LED.

4. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said lighting device further comprises a lighting device housing, said light engine housing positioned such that an entirety of said light engine housing, except for said flange region, is within said lighting device housing.

5. A lighting device as recited in claim 4, wherein said lighting device housing is substantially cylindrical.

6. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said open end is substantially circular.

7. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said AC voltage is line voltage.

8. A lighting device, comprising:

a light engine housing;

a light engine;

an energy forwarding element; and

at least a first mounting clip,

the energy forwarding element within the light engine housing,

the light engine housing comprising an electrical connection region, the electrical connection region engageable with an electricity supply device,

the light engine comprising at least a first solid state light emitter,

at least a first region of the energy forwarding element electrically connected to the electrical connection region, at least a second region of the energy forwarding element electrically connected to the light engine, the energy forwarding element comprising circuitry which, if power of an AC voltage is supplied to the first region of the energy forwarding element, supplies DC current to the light engine in a form such that the first solid state light emitter will emit light,

the first mounting clip movable between at least a first position and a second position,

wherein;

if the first mounting clip is in the first position, all points on the first mounting clip are spaced from a line extending through the lighting device by distances that are smaller than a distance that a point on the light engine housing, that is farthest from the line, is spaced from the line, and

if the first mounting clip is in the second position, at least some points on the first mounting clip are spaced from the line by distances that are larger than the distance that the point on the light engine housing that is farthest from the line is spaced from the line.

9. A lighting device as recited in claim 8, wherein said light engine housing comprises a flange region which surrounds an open end of the light engine housing.

10. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein:

said lighting device further comprises a diffuser, and

said first compartment has an opening which is covered by said diffuser, whereby at least a portion of light emitted by said first solid state light emitter which travels toward said opening will pass through said diffuser and then through said open end of said light engine housing to exit from said light engine housing.

11. A lighting device as recited in claim 10, wherein if said lighting device is mounted in a hole in a structure such that said flange region is on a first side of said structure and at least a portion of a back side of said flange region is in contact with a region of said first side of said structure which surrounds said hole, and a remainder of said light engine housing is on an opposite side of said hole relative to said flange region, the only elements which would be visible within a field defined by an outer periphery of said flange portion of said light engine housing from a vantage point which is in a region which is to said first side of said structure would be a front side of said flange region, a front side of said diffuser and any portion of said first compartment which is between said opening and said open end.

12. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein said lighting device further comprises a lighting device housing, said light engine housing positioned such that an entirety of said light engine housing, except for said flange region, is within said lighting device housing.

13. A lighting device as recited in claim 12, wherein said lighting device housing is substantially cylindrical.

14. A lighting device as recited in claim 8, wherein said electrical connection region is engageable in an Edison socket or comprises a GU24 base.

15. A lighting device as recited in claim 8, wherein said first solid state light emitter comprises an LED.

16. A lighting device as recited in claim 8, wherein said light engine housing comprises an open end which is substantially circular.

17. A lighting device as recited in claim 8, wherein said AC voltage is line voltage.

18. A lighting device, comprising:

a light engine housing;

a light engine;

an energy forwarding element; and

at least a first mounting clip,

the energy forwarding element within the light engine housing,

the light engine housing comprising an electrical connection region, the electrical connection region engageable with an electricity supply device,

the light engine comprising at least a first solid state light emitter,

the light engine housing comprising an open end which defines a first plane,

at least a first region of the energy forwarding element electrically connected to the electrical connection region, at least a second region of the energy forwarding element electrically connected to the light engine, the energy forwarding element comprising circuitry which, if power of an AC voltage is supplied to the first region of the energy forwarding element, supplies DC current to the light engine in a form such that the first solid state light emitter will emit light,

the first mounting clip movable between at least a first position and a second position,

wherein;

if the first mounting clip is in the first position, all points on the first mounting clip are spaced from a line that is perpendicular to the first plane by distances that are smaller than a distance that a point on the light engine housing, that is farthest from the line, is spaced from the line, and

if the first mounting clip is in the second position, at least some points on the first mounting clip are spaced from the line by distances that are larger than the distance that the point on the light engine housing that is farthest from the line is spaced from the line.

19. A lighting device as recited in claim 18, wherein said first solid state light emitter comprises an LED.

20. A lighting device as recited in claim 18, wherein:

said light engine housing comprises a flange region that surrounds said open end, and

said lighting device further comprises a lighting device housing, said light engine housing positioned such that an entirety of said light engine housing, except for said flange region, is within said lighting device housing.

21. A lighting device as recited in claim 20, wherein said lighting device housing is substantially cylindrical.

22. A lighting device as recited in claim 18, wherein said open end is substantially circular.

23. A lighting device as recited in claim 18, wherein said electrical connection region is engageable in an Edison socket or comprises a GU24 base.

24. A lighting device as recited in claim 18, wherein said AC voltage is line voltage.

25. A lighting device, comprising:

a light engine housing;

a light engine; and

an energy forwarding element,

the energy forwarding element within the light engine housing,

the light engine housing comprising an electrical connection region, the electrical connection region engageable with an electricity supply device,

the light engine comprising at least a first solid state light emitter,

at least a first region of the energy forwarding element electrically connected to the electrical connection region, at least a second region of the energy forwarding element electrically connected to the light engine, the energy forwarding element comprising circuitry which, if power of an AC voltage is supplied to the first region of the energy forwarding element, supplies DC current to the light engine in a form such that the first solid state light emitter will emit light,

the light engine housing comprising an open end and a flange region, the flange region surrounding the open end,

a surface of the flange region defining a first plane,

at least some points on the flange region spaced from a line that is perpendicular to the first plane by distances that are larger than a distance that any other point on any portion of the light engine housing, except for the flange region, that is farthest from the line is spaced from the line.

26. A lighting device as recited in claim 25, wherein the lighting device further comprises a lighting device housing, the light engine housing positioned such that an entirety of the light engine housing, except for the flange region, is within the lighting device housing.

27. A lighting device as recited in claim 25, wherein:

the lighting device further comprises at least a first mounting clip,

the first mounting clip is movable between at least a first position and a second position,

if the first mounting clip is in the first position, all points on the first mounting clip are spaced from a line that is perpendicular to the first plane by distances that are smaller than a distance that a point on the light engine housing, that is farthest from the line, is spaced from the line, and

if the first mounting clip is in the second position, at least some points on the first mounting clip are spaced from the line by distances that are larger than the distance that the point on the light engine housing that is farthest from the line is spaced from the line.