LED lighting fixture

• US 8,070,306 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• 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: Ruud, Alan J., Wilcox, Kurt S., Walczak, Steven R., Guillien, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US12/629,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20100149809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 362/249.02, 362/249.11, 362/373, 362/294, 362/800, 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 lighting fixture including a housing including a first and second border structures. An LED assembly is secured with respect to the housing to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly. The LED assembly includes at least one LED-array module mounted at an elongate LED heat sink that extends along the housing and between two heat-sink ends. The heat sink has an LED-module-engaging surface and a heat-transfer surface. One heat-sink end is at the first border structure and the other heat-sink end is at the second border structure. The housing and the heat sink define an air gap permitting air/water-flow to and from the heat sink.

Claims

1. An LED lighting fixture comprising:

a housing including first and second border structures; and

an LED assembly secured with respect to the housing to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly, the LED assembly including (a) an LED heat sink that has two heat-sink ends, an LED-module-engaging surface and a heat-transfer surface, one heat-sink end being at the first border structure and the other heat-sink end being at the second border structure, the housing and the heat sink defining an air gap permitting air/water-flow to and from the heat sink, and (b) an LED-array module mounted at the LED-module-engaging surface.

2. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the heat sink is a separate structure connected to the housing.

3. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 further including an interlock of the first border structure with one of the heat-sink ends to secure the LED assembly to the housing, the interlock forming the air gap and having:

a slotted cavity extending along the housing; and

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

4. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the LED assembly includes a plurality of LED-array modules separately mounted on individual interconnected heat sinks.

5. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein:

the first border structure defines a closed chamber; and

at least one electronic driver is within the chamber.

6. The LED lighting fixture of claim 4 wherein the chamber is substantially air/water-tight.

7. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 further including a protective cover extending over the LED assembly and secured with respect to the housing, the protective cover having perforations permitting air/water-flow therethrough.

8. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the housing further includes a frame structure connected to the first border structure, the frame structure extending along the LED assembly.

9. The LED lighting fixture of claim 7 wherein the housing is a perimetrical structure with the first and second border structures being on opposed perimetrical sides and the frame structure secured on a perimetrical side between the border structures.

10. The LED lighting fixture of claim 8 wherein the perimetrical structure is substantially rectangular and includes a pair of opposed frame structures each connected to the first and second border structures.

11. An LED lighting fixture comprising:

a housing including first and second border structures; and

an LED assembly secured with respect to the housing to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly, the LED assembly including;

an LED heat sink that has two heat-sink ends, an LED-module-engaging surface and a heat-transfer surface, one heat-sink end being at the first border structure and the other heat-sink end being at the second border structure, and

an LED-array module mounted to the LED-module-engaging surface.

12. The LED lighting fixture of claim 11 wherein the housing and the heat sink define a venting gap between at least one of the heat-sink ends and the corresponding border structure to permit air/water-flow to and from the heat sink.

13. The LED lighting fixture of claim 11 wherein the heat sink is a separate structure connected to the housing.

14. An LED lighting fixture comprising:

first and second border structures; and

an LED assembly open to air/water-flow thereover, the LED assembly including (a) an LED heat sink having one heat-sink end at the first border structure and another heat-sink end at the second border structure and (b) an LED-array module connected to the LED heat sink for heat transfer from the LED-array module.

15. The LED lighting fixture of claim 14 further including a housing having the border structures, the housing defining a venting gap permitting air/water-flow to and from the heat sink.

16. The LED lighting fixture of claim 15 wherein the venting gap is between at least one of the heat-sink ends and the corresponding border structure.

17. The LED lighting fixture of claim 15 wherein the heat sink is a separate structure connected to the housing.

18. An LED lighting fixture comprising:

first and second border structures defining an open space therebetween which is open to air/water-flow therethrough; and

an LED assembly within the open space and secured with respect to the border structures, the LED assembly including (a) an LED heat sink having one heat-sink end at the first border structure and another heat-sink end at the second border structure and (b) an LED-array module connected to the LED heat sink for heat transfer from the LED-array module, the LED assembly being configured and positioned within the open space to facilitate air/water-flow through the heat sink.

19. An LED lighting fixture comprising:

an LED assembly including at least one LED-array module mounted on an LED heat sink open for air/water-flow thereover; and

a housing defining a venting gap permitting air/water-flow to and from the LED heat sink.

20. The LED floodlight fixture of claim 19 wherein the housing includes a substantially closed chamber enclosing at least one electronic LED driver, the LED assembly being outside the chamber.

21. The LED lighting fixture of claim 19 wherein the LED heat sink is an extrusion having a module-engaging surface and a heat-dissipating surface, the heat-dissipating surface including at least one fin protruding therefrom.

22. An LED lighting fixture comprising an LED assembly including a plurality of LED modules separately mounted on corresponding individual heat sinks, each heat sink having a module-engaging surface and a heat-dissipating surface with each LED module against the corresponding module-engaging surface, the heat sinks being interconnected to hold LED modules in fixed relative positions.

23. The LED lighting fixture of claim 22 wherein, in each heat sink, the heat-dissipating surface includes at least one fin protruding therefrom.

24. The LED lighting fixture of claim 22 further including at least one connection device holding the individual heat sinks with respect to one another.

25. The LED lighting fixture of claim 24 wherein the connection device is integral with at least one of adjacent heat sinks.

26. The LED lighting fixture of claim 24 wherein the connection device holds the heat sinks in side-by-side relationship to one another.