LED light bulb having an LED light engine with illuminated curved surfaces

• US 8,227,962 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Su, Allen Hui Long
• Original Assignee: Su, Allen Hui Long
• Inventors: Su, Allen Hui Long
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashok
• Application Number:
  US13/044,393
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 313/46
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

The present invention relates to an LED light bulb utilizing LED light sheets with illuminated curved surfaces and can be used as a replacement bulb. The LED light bulb comprises an LED light engine having first and second LED modules with first and second illuminated curved surfaces facing toward different illumination zones I1, I2 respectively and attached to a thermally conducive support block with an increased curved surface area for heat dissipation. Said first and second illuminated curved surfaces are curved about first and second axes A, B respectively and are arranged to be offset from each other with said axes A and B substantially perpendicular to each other such that an improved illumination with direct lights shone to at least six different sides of the light bulb and subsequently a substantially spherical illumination of dispersed lights may be obtained along with an enhanced cooling of the light bulb.

Claims

1. An LED light bulb encompassed by a first illumination zone and a second illumination zone different from said first illumination zone, comprising:

a light transmissive shell defining an inner space;

a thermally conductive support block comprising a first projecting surface and a second projecting surface away from said first projecting surface;

an LED light engine arranged on said support block, comprising a first LED module attached to said first projecting surface of the support block and a second LED module attached to said second projecting surface of the support block;

wherein said first LED module comprises a first illuminated curved surface facing toward said first illumination zone, curved about a first center axis and extending along said first center axis;

wherein said second LED module comprises a second illuminated curved surface facing toward said second illumination zone, curved about a second center axis and extending along said second center axis; and

wherein said first center axis of the first illuminated curved surface is arranged at an angle with said second center axis of the second illuminated curved surface; and

a base attached to the shell along a longitudinal axis of the light bulb and configured to receive an internal circuitry electrically connected to the LED light engine.

2. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said angle between said first and second center axes of the first and second illuminated curved surfaces of the first and second LED modules of the LED light engine is substantially equivalent to 90 degrees.

3. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said angle between said first and second center axes of the first and second illuminated curved surfaces of the first and second LED modules of the LED light engine is formed on a plane substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of the light bulb.

4. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said angle between said first and second center axes of the first and second illuminated curved surfaces of the first and second LED modules of the LED light engine is formed on a plane substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of the light bulb.

5. The LED light bulb according to claim 3, wherein said first illumination zone includes at least a portion of top, left and right sides of the light bulb with respect to said longitudinal axis of the light bulb, and said second illumination zone different from said first illumination zone includes at least a portion of bottom, front and rear sides of light bulb with respect to said longitudinal axis of the light bulb;

whereby said first LED module of the LED light engine provides direct lights to said top, left and right sides of the light bulb and said second LED module of the LED light engine provides direct lights to said bottom, front and rear sides of the light bulb.

6. The LED light bulb according to claim 4, wherein said first illumination zone includes at least a portion of front, left and right sides of the light bulb with respect to said longitudinal axis of the light bulb, and said second illumination zone different from said first illumination zone includes at least a portion of rear, top and bottom sides of light bulb with respect to said longitudinal axis of the light bulb;

whereby said first LED module of the LED light engine provides direct lights to said front, left and right sides of the light bulb and said second LED module of the LED light engine provides direct lights to said rear, top and bottom sides of the light bulb.

7. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said first illuminated curved surface of the first LED module is of a first half-cylindrical shape curved about said first center axis with a first radius, and said second illuminated curved surface of the second LED module is of a second half-cylindrical shape curved about said second center axis with a second radius.

8. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said support block further comprises a first conductive block having said first projecting surface formed thereon with a first outwardly-projecting convex profile toward said first illumination zone and a second conductive block having said second projecting surface formed thereon with a second outwardly-projecting convex profile toward said second illumination zone.

9. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said support block further comprises a thermally conductive central plate configured between said first and second projecting surfaces.

10. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said support block further comprises a central stem extending away from said first and second projecting surfaces thereof along said longitudinal axis of the light bulb and further secured to said base of the light bulb.

11. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said light transmissive shell further comprises a first envelope and a second envelope enclosing said inner space thereof;

and wherein said first and second envelopes of the shell further comprises at least one inwardly convex profile projecting toward said inner space thereof such that at least one air channel is formed on said shell to allow ambient air passing therethrough.

12. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said first and second LED modules of the LED light engine are formed of a solid state lighting material selected from any one of the following:

top-emitting OLED, bottom-emitting OLED, transparent OLED, flexible OLED, flexible inorganic LED and a combination thereof.

13. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said light transmissive shell is formed of any one of the following materials:

glass, quartz, aluminum oxide, boron nitride, plastics and a combination thereof.

14. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said support block is formed of any one of the following thermally conductive materials:

silica, aluminum oxide, boron nitride, carbon composite, metal, metal alloy and a combination thereof.

15. The LED light bulb according to claim 1, wherein said inner space of the shell is evacuated to contain at least a partial vacuum and filled with a thermal conductive medium selected from any one of the following gases:

helium, argon, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, metal halides and a mixture thereof.

16. An LED light bulb encompassed by a first illumination zone and a second illumination zone different from said first illumination zone, comprising:

a light transmissive shell defining an inner space enclosed by a first envelope and a second envelope;

a thermally conductive support block comprising a first projecting surface and a second projecting surface;

wherein said first projecting surface includes a first outwardly-projecting convex profile toward said first envelope of the shell; and

wherein said second convex surface includes a second outwardly-projecting convex profile toward said second envelope of the shell;

an LED light engine attached to said support block, comprising a first LED module attached to said first projecting surface of the support block and a second LED module attached to said second projecting surface of the support block;

wherein said first LED module comprises a first illuminated curved surface facing toward said first illumination zone, curved about a first center axis and extending along said first center axis;

wherein said second LED module comprises a second illuminated curved surface facing toward said second illumination zone, curved about a second center axis and extending along said second center axis; and

wherein said first center axis of the first illuminated curved surface is arranged at an angle substantially perpendicular to said second center axis of the second illuminated curved surface; and

a base attached to the shell along a longitudinal axis of the light bulb and configured to receive an internal circuitry electrically connected to the LED light engine.

17. The LED light bulb according to claim 16, wherein said angle between said first and second center axes of the first and second illuminated curved surfaces of the first and second LED modules of the LED light engine is formed on a plane substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of the light bulb.

18. The LED light bulb according to claim 16, wherein said first illuminated curved surface of the first LED module is of a first half-cylindrical shape curved about said first center axis with a first radius, and said second illuminated curved surface of the second LED module is of a second half-cylindrical shape curved about said second center axis with a second radius.

19. The LED light bulb according to claim 18, wherein said first radius of the first illuminated curved surface of the first LED module and said second radius of the second illuminated curved surface of the second LED module are substantially equivalent to each other and are of a value substantially greater than or equal to 5 mm.

20. The LED light bulb according to claim 16, wherein said first and second illuminated curved surfaces of the first and second LED module extend along said first and second center axes respectively to a width substantially greater than or equal to 5 mm.

21. The LED light bulb according to claim 16, wherein said support block further comprises a thermally conductive central plate configured between said first and second projecting surfaces.

22. The LED light bulb according to claim 16, wherein said first and second envelopes of the shell further comprises a first-half piece and a second-half piece adjoined to each other along said longitudinal axis of the light bulb.

23. The LED light bulb according to claim 16, wherein said first and second envelopes of the shell further comprises at least one inwardly convex profile projecting toward said inner space thereof such that at least one air channel is formed on said shell to allow ambient air passing therethrough.

24. The LED light bulb according to claim 23, wherein said support block further comprises a first conductive block having said first projecting surface formed thereon and a second conductive block having said second projecting surface formed thereon;

and wherein said first and second conductive blocks further comprises an inwardly curved surface coincide with said at least one inwardly convex profile on said first and second envelops of the shell to encompass at least a portion of said at least one air channel.

25. The LED light bulb according to claim 16, wherein said first and second LED modules of the LED light engine are formed of a solid state lighting material selected from any one of the following:

top-emitting OLED, bottom-emitting OLED, transparent OLED, flexible OLED, flexible inorganic LED and a combination thereof.

26. An LED light bulb encompassed by a first illumination zone and a second illumination zone different from said first illumination zone, comprising:

a light transmissive shell defining an inner space;

a thermally conductive support block comprising a first projecting surface, a second projecting surface and a central stem extending away from said first and second projecting surfaces along a longitude axis of the light bulb;

wherein said first projecting surface includes a first outwardly-projecting convex profile and said second projecting surface includes a second outwardly-projecting convex profile away from said first outwardly-projecting convex profile of the first project surface;

an LED light engine attached to said support block, comprising a first LED module attached to said first projecting surface of the support block and a second LED module attached to said second projecting surface of the support block;

wherein said first LED module comprises a first illuminated curved surface facing toward said first illumination zone and said second LED module comprises a second illuminated curved surface facing toward said second illumination zone;

wherein said first illuminated curved surface of the first LED module is of a first half-cylindrical shape curved about a first center axis with a first radius and extending along said first center axis, and said second illuminated curved surface of the second LED module is of a second half-cylindrical shape curved about a second center axis with a second radius and extending along said second center axis;

wherein said first center axis of the first illuminated curved surface of the first LED module is arranged at an angle substantially perpendicular to said second center axis of the second illuminated curved surface of the second LED module; and

a base comprising a supporting stand secured to said central stem of the support block, configured to receive an internal circuitry therein and attached to said shell along said longitudinal axis of the light bulb.

27. The LED light bulb according to claim 26, wherein said angle between said first and second center axes of the first and second illuminated curved surfaces of the first and second LED modules of the LED light engine is formed on a plane substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of the light bulb.

28. The LED light bulb according to claim 26, wherein said angle between said first and second center axes of the first and second illuminated curved surfaces of the first and second LED modules of the LED light engine is formed on a plane substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of the light bulb.

29. The LED light bulb according to claim 26, wherein said first radius of the first illuminated curved surface of the first LED module and said second radius of the second illuminated curved surface of the second LED module are substantially equivalent to each other and are of a value substantially greater than or equal to 5 mm;

and wherein said first and second illuminated curved surfaces of the first and second LED module extend along said first and second center axes respectively to a width substantially greater than or equal to 5 mm.

30. The LED light bulb according to claim 26, wherein said first and second LED modules of the LED light engine are formed of a solid state lighting material having a curved profile, and said solid state lighting material is selected from any one of the following:

top-emitting OLED, bottom-emitting OLED, transparent OLED, flexible OLED, flexible inorganic LED and a combination thereof.