LED lighting fixture

• US 8,425,071 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2011
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruud, Alan J., Wilcox, Kurt S., Walczak, Steven R., Guillien, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US13/294,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20120057348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 362/294, 362/373, 362/800, 362/249.02, 362/249.11
• 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 and an LED assembly secured with respect to the housing to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly. The LED assembly includes (a) an LED heat sink having an LED-engaging surface and a heat-transfer surface and (b) an LED-array at the heat-transfer surface. 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 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 an LED-engaging surface and a heat-transfer surface and (b) an LED-array at the LED-engaging surface, the housing and the heat sink defining an air gap permitting air/water-flow to and from the heat sink.

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 1 wherein:

the housing defines a closed chamber; and

at least one electronic driver is within the chamber.

4. The LED lighting fixture of claim 3 wherein the chamber is substantially air/water-tight.

5. An LED lighting fixture comprising:

a housing including a border structure; 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 having a heat-sink end at the border structure, an LED-engaging surface and a heat-transfer surface, and

an LED-array mounted to the LED-engaging surface,

wherein the housing and the heat sink define a venting gap between the heat-sink end and the border structure to permit air/water-flow to and from the heat sink.

6. The LED lighting fixture of claim 5 wherein the heat sink is a separate structure connected to the housing.

7. An LED lighting fixture comprising a housing and an LED-supporting heat sink open for air/water-flow thereover, the housing defining a venting gap permitting air/water-flow to and from the LED-supporting heat sink.

8. The LED floodlight fixture of claim 7 wherein the housing includes a substantially closed chamber enclosing at least one electronic LED driver.

9. The LED lighting fixture of claim 7 wherein the LED-supporting heat sink has an LED-engaging surface and a heat-dissipating surface, the heat-dissipating surface including at least one fin protruding therefrom.

10. An LED lighting fixture comprising an LED assembly including a plurality of individual heat sinks and an equal plurality of LED modules, each module separately mounted on a corresponding one of the heat sinks, the heat sinks holding LED modules in fixed relative positions.

11. The LED lighting fixture of claim 10 further including at least one connection device holding the individual heat sinks with respect to one another.

12. The LED lighting fixture of claim 11 wherein the connection device is integral with at least one of adjacent heat sinks.

13. The LED lighting fixture of claim 11 wherein the connection device holds the heat sinks in side-by-side relationship to one another.