LED-based light bulb device

• US 8,421,322 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Forever Bulb, LLC
• Original Assignee: Forever Bulb, LLC
• Inventors: Carroll, David W., Carroll, Wendell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snyder, Zachary J
• Application Number:
  US13/226,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20120001545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 313/46, 362/227, 362/235
• 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 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/86 Ceramics or glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/87 Organic material, e.g. filled polymer composites; Thermo-conductive additives or coatings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/89 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/02 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2107/00 Light sources with three-dimensionally disposed light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/357 specially adapted for retrofit LED light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

An LED light bulb device including a bulb body, a cap and an LED assembly. The bulb body defines an exterior surface and an interior. The cap is mounted to the bulb body, combining to define a light bulb-like structure. The LED assembly includes a substrate, LEDs, transformer circuitry and connective circuitry. The LEDs and the connective circuitry are maintained by the substrate, with the connective circuitry electrically connecting the LEDs and the transformer circuitry. The transformer circuitry is adapted to modify incoming power for powering the LEDs. The LED assembly is mounted to the light bulb-like structure such that the LEDs are disposed along the exterior surface of the bulb body, with light from the LEDs being directed inwardly into the interior and then outwardly from the interior. The LED assembly can further include a heat sink body encompassing the LEDs.

Claims

1. An LED light bulb device comprising:

a bulb body defining an open interior region, wherein a shape of the bulb body defines an axial centerline;

an LED assembly including;

a substrate,

a plurality of light emitting diode lights maintained by the substrate, each of the light emitting diode lights defining a front face from which light is emitted and a rear face opposite the front face,

circuitry including power conversion circuitry adapted to modify applied power for powering the light emitting diode lights, and connective circuitry connecting the plurality of light emitting diode lights and the power conversion circuitry, wherein the connective circuitry is maintained at least in part by the substrate; and

a heatsink mounted to the bulb body and connected to the substrate, wherein at least a portion of the heatsink is not covered by the bulb body and is directly exposed to an external environment of the device;

wherein the heatsink locates at least one of the light emitting diode lights relative to the bulb body such that the front face of the at least one light emitting diode light is aimed inwardly toward the interior region of the bulb body, and the front face of the at least one light emitting diode light is closer to the axial centerline than the corresponding rear face.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the light from the at least one light emitting diode light is directed directly inwardly into the interior region toward the axial centerline and then outwardly from the interior region away from the axial centerline.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the light emitting diode lights is arranged such that the corresponding front face is aimed inwardly toward the interior region of the bulb body and is closer to the axial centerline than the corresponding rear face.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the heatsink defines a stem supporting the at least one light emitting diode light, and further wherein the rear face of the at least one light emitting diode light faces the stem.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the bulb body includes a wall defining an exterior surface opposite the open interior region, and further wherein the heatsink includes a stem supporting the at least one light emitting diode light, the stem being directly mounted to the exterior surface.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one light emitting diode light is attached to a leg formed by the substrate, and further wherein the leg is directly mounted to the stem.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a cap mounted to the bulb body and forming a surface configured for selective connection to an electrical socket, the cap and the bulb body combining to define a light bulb-like structure.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light emitting diode lights includes a first set of light emitting diode lights maintained along a first segment of the substrate, and further wherein the first segment is mounted to the heatsink.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the heatsink forms a first stem mounted to an exterior surface of the bulb body opposite the interior region, and further wherein the first segment is attached to the first stem.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first segment is embedded into the stem.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of light emitting diode lights includes a second set of light emitting diode lights maintained along a second segment of the substrate spatially separate from the first segment, and further wherein the second segment is directly mounted to the heatsink.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the heatsink forms a second stem discrete of the first stem and mounted to the exterior surface of the bulb body, and further wherein the second segment is directly mounted to the second stem.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of segments extending from a common base in a spaced apart fashion, each of the segments maintaining a set of the light emitting diode lights.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the bulb body defines a cap end and an opposing, closed top end, and further wherein the segments are maintained relative to bulb body to extend from the cap end toward the closed top end.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one light emitting diode light is arranged such that the corresponding front face is off-set from the axial centerline and light emitted from the corresponding front face passes directly through the axial centerline and then directly outwardly from the bulb body.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the heatsink includes a stem directly maintaining a leg of the substrate and defining an inner face and an outer face opposite the inner face, and further wherein the leg defines a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and further wherein the rear face of the at least one light emitting diode light directly contacts the first surface of the leg at a mounting location, the second surface of the leg directly contacts the inner face of the stem at a point aligned with the mounting location, and the outer face of the stem is exposed to ambient air at a point aligned with the mounting location.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the bulb body defines a cap end and an opposing, closed top end, and further wherein the heatsink includes first and second stems maintaining first and second segments, respectively, of the substrate, and further wherein the stems extend along an exterior of the bulb body in a direction of the closed top end, the first stem being circumferentially spaced from the second stem.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the heatsink includes a stem forming a groove, and further wherein the at least one light emitting diode light is assembled to a leg of the substrate, and further wherein the leg is disposed within the groove.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the leg terminates at a leading end opposite the power conversion circuitry, and further wherein the leading end is disposed within the groove.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the heatsink includes a plurality of stems disposed along the bulb body in a circumferentially spaced manner, and further wherein the substrate includes a plurality of legs each maintaining a set of light emitting diode lights, respective ones of the legs being assembled to respective ones of the stems, and even further wherein the stems are arranged about the axial centerline such that each of the stems are radially off-set from one another.