Universal light emitting diode illumination device and method

• US 8,529,088 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J Baxter Brinkmann International Corporation
• Original Assignee: TerraLUX Incorporated
• Inventors: Catalano, Anthony, Harrison, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US13/545,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 362157-208, 362/253, 362/294, 362/249.02, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/202
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/23 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with a single fitting for each light source, e.g. for substitution of incandescent lamps with bayonet or threaded fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/238 Arrangement or mounting of circuit elements integrated in the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/02 characterised by the provision of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/027 the light sources being a LED
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/005 the substrate is supporting also the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/048 the lens being a simple lens adapted to cooperate with a point-like source for emitting mainly in one direction and having an axis coincident with the main light transmission direction, e.g. convergent or divergent lenses, plano-concave or plano-convex lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/06 with parabolic curvature
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/24 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/28 characterised by coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for providing a light emitting diode and driving circuitry integrated into a component module that will retrofit common incandescent lightbulb applications. The disclosed embodiments will perform with high efficiency at a wide operating voltage range with a very small size allowing for the incorporation within the envelope and form of existing lightbulb bases. Therefore, a single universal LED light bulb module can be used to replace the dozens of conventional LED and incandescent lights currently being used. The electronic circuitries used to drive the LEDs are extremely compact and consequently can be incorporated in nearly any standard bulb base.

Claims

1. A method of retrofitting an illumination device comprising (i) a battery housing for containing at least one battery, (ii) an incandescent light source configured to be powered by the at least one battery, and (iii) a reflector housing containing a reflector for reflecting light emitted by the incandescent light source toward an emission axis of the illumination device, the battery housing and the reflector housing collectively defining a volume envelope of the illumination device, the method comprising:

replacing the incandescent light source with a sub-assembly comprising (i) at least one solid-state light emitter and (ii) a driving circuit for converting power from the at least one battery into suitable current to the at least one solid-state light emitter, thereby reducing a volume of the battery housing, without altering the volume envelope of the illumination device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sub-assembly comprises a heat sink in thermal communication with the at least one solid-state light emitter for conducting heat therefrom.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein replacing the incandescent light source with the sub-assembly comprises orienting the at least one solid-state light emitter substantially parallel to the emission axis of the illumination device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein replacing the incandescent light source with the sub-assembly comprises orienting the at least one solid-state light emitter substantially perpendicular to the emission axis of the illumination device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sub-assembly comprises a printed circuit board and the at least one solid-state light emitter comprises at least one solid state-light emitter disposed on each of two opposing surfaces of the printed circuit board.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one solid-state light emitter comprises at least one light-emitting diode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving circuit comprises a high-frequency DC-to-DC converter.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising replacing a lens of the illumination device with a replacement lens.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the replacement lens comprises a converging lens.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the replacement lens comprises a diffusing lens.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein a surface of the replacement lens is not flat.