Lighting assembly and light module for same

• US 8,562,180 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Korrus Incorporated (MKD Electric, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Journee Lighting, Inc. (EcoSense Lighting Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexander, Clayton, Mundell, Brandon S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US13/464,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 362/294, 362/373, 362/198, 362/249.03, 362/249.07, 362/288, 362/289
• US Class Current: 362/294
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/001 the light sources being semiconductors devices, e.g. LEDs
• 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 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/85 characterised by the material liquid coolants F21V29/56
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A lighting assembly that has a light fixture and an LED light module is provided. One or more resilient members generate an axial force when the LED light module is removably coupled to the light fixture to thereby exert a force on the LED light module to resiliently maintain the LED light module in resilient contact with the light fixture or socket of the light fixture to thereby thermally couple the LED light module to the light fixture or socket of the light fixture. One or both of the LED light module and light fixture have one or more engaging members, and one or both of the LED light module and the light fixture have one or more slots configured to removably receive the one or more engaging members therein when coupling the LED light module to the light fixture.

Claims

1. A lighting assembly, comprising:

a light fixture;

a light module comprising an LED lighting element and removably coupleable to the light fixture; and

one or more resilient members configured to generate an axial force when the light module is removably coupled to the light fixture to thereby exert a force on at least a portion of the light module to resiliently maintain at least a portion of the light module in resilient contact with a surface of the light fixture or socket of the light fixture to thereby thermally couple at least a portion of the light module to the light fixture or socket of the light fixture,

wherein one or both of the light module and light fixture comprises one or more engaging members that extend from a surface thereof, and wherein one or both of the light module and the light fixture comprises one or more slots configured to removably receive the one or more engaging members therein when coupling the light module to the light fixture.

2. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the light fixture comprises a socket, one or more of said slots defined on a surface of the socket.

3. The lighting assembly of claim 2, wherein the one or more slots in the socket have a surface at least a portion of which is generally inclined toward a bottom of the socket, one or more of the engaging members configured to engage said inclined surface as the light module is rotated relative to the socket during coupling of the light module to the socket such that the engagement between the engaging members and the inclined surface causes at least a portion of the light module to axially move toward the bottom of the socket as the light module is rotated relative to the socket.

4. The lighting assembly of claim 2, wherein the one or more slots are defined on an inner surface of the socket, said inner surface defining a cylindrical recess configured to removably receive at least a portion of the light module therein when coupling the light module to the socket.

5. The lighting assembly of claim 4, wherein the one or more slots in the socket have a generally horizontal surface between an end of the inclined surface and a generally vertical stop portion configured to prevent further rotation of the light module relative to the socket, the horizontal surface separated from the inclined surface by a protrusion, the one or more slots configured to hold the one or more engaging members in a releasably locked position when said one or more engaging members are disposed between the protrusion and the generally vertical stop portion.

6. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the force axially drives a base surface of the light module into resilient contact with a surface of the light fixture to thereby thermally couple the light module to the light fixture.

7. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more engaging members extend radially from a surface of the light module.

8. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more resilient members are disposed in the light module between a front end and a base surface of the light module.

9. The lighting assembly of claim 2, wherein the light module further comprises one or more electrical contact members configured to releasably contact one or more electrical contacts of the socket to provide an operative electrical connection between the light module and the socket when the light module is coupled to the socket.

10. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the LED lighting element is rotationally fixed relative to the one or more engaging members, such that the LED lighting element rotates together with the one or more engaging members and the rest of the light module when the light module is rotated.

11. A light module removably coupleable to a light fixture, the light module comprising:

a generally cylindrical housing;

an LED lighting element at least partially disposed in the housing;

one or more electrical contact members configured to releasably contact one or more electrical contacts of a socket of a light fixture to provide an operative electrical connection between the light module and the socket of the light fixture when the light module is coupled to the light fixture; and

one or more engaging members on the housing, the engaging members configured to releasably engage corresponding one or more engaging elements in the socket of the light fixture when coupling the light module to the socket,

wherein the engagement of the engaging members with the engaging elements of the socket generates an axial force that maintains at least a portion of the light module into resilient contact with a surface of a light fixture or socket of the light fixture when coupling the light module to the socket to thereby thermally couple the light module to the light fixture or socket of the light fixture.

12. The light module of claim 11, wherein the one or more engaging members extend radially outward from a circumferential surface of the housing.

13. The light module of claim 11, wherein the LED lighting element is rotationally fixed relative to the housing and the one or more engaging members, such that the LED lighting element rotates together with the housing and the one or more engaging members when the light module is rotated.

14. The light module of claim 11, wherein the one or more engaging elements of the socket comprise one or more slots in a surface of the socket.

15. The light module of claim 11, wherein engagement of the engaging members with the engaging elements of the socket axially drives a base surface of the light module into resilient contact with a surface of a light fixture or socket of the light fixture when coupling the light module to the socket to thereby thermally couple the light module to the light fixture or socket of the light fixture.

16. The light module of claim 11, further comprising one or more resilient members disposed between a front end and a base surface of the light module, the resilient members configured to flex when the light module is coupled to the light fixture, thereby generating a force that maintains the base surface in resilient contact with the surface of the light fixture to thereby thermally couple the light module to the light fixture or socket of the light fixture.

17. The light module of claim 11, wherein the one or more electrical contact members comprise electrical contact strips on a bottom surface of the light module.

18. A light module for use in a lighting assembly, comprising:

an LED lighting element;

a thermal interface member operatively coupled to the LED lighting element, the thermal interface member configured to contact one or more thermally conductive surfaces of at least one of a socket and a heat dissipating member of the lighting assembly when the LED module is coupled to the socket;

one or more resilient members of the LED module configured to move from a first position to a second position to generate an axial force between the LED module and at least one of the socket and the heat dissipating member when the LED module is coupled to the socket, thereby causing the LED module to thermally contact said one or more thermally conductive surfaces; and

one or more electrical contact members of the LED module configured to releasably contact one or more electrical contacts of the socket when the LED module is coupled to the socket to thereby provide an operative electrical connection to the LED.

19. The light module of claim 18, wherein the one or more resilient members are disposed between a front end and a base surface of the light module, the resilient members configured to flex when the light module is coupled to the lighting assembly, thereby generating a force that axially drives the base surface into resilient contact with said one or more thermally conductive surfaces.

20. The light module of claim 18, wherein the one or more electrical contact members are electrical contact strips on a bottom surface of the light module.

21. A light module for use in a lighting assembly, comprising:

an LED lighting element;

a thermal interface member operatively coupled to the LED lighting element, the thermal interface member configured to contact at least one of a socket and a heat dissipating member of the lighting assembly when the light module is installed therein; and

at least one buckle catch attached to the light module, the buckle catch configured to releasably engage a buckle on the lighting assembly to couple the light module to the lighting assembly to fixedly position the light module relative to the socket.

22. The light module of claim 21, wherein the coupling of the buckle and buckle catch generates a compression force between the light module and the lighting assembly.

23. The light module of claim 21, further comprising one or more electrical contacts configured to contact an electrical element on the lighting assembly when the light module is coupled to the lighting assembly.

24. A lighting assembly, comprising:

a light fixture assembly comprising a heat dissipating member and at least one buckle mechanism; and

a light module configured to couple to the heat dissipating member, the light module comprising

an LED lighting element;

a thermal interface member operatively coupled to the LED lighting element, the thermal interface member configured to contact at least a portion of the heat dissipating member when the light module is coupled to the light fixture assembly; and

at least one buckle catch attached to the light module, the buckle catch configured to releasably engage the at least one buckle mechanism of the light fixture assembly to couple the light module to the light fixture assembly to fixedly position the light module relative to the light fixture assembly,

wherein the buckle mechanism is movable from an open position to a closed position, the buckle mechanism engaging the buckle catch in the closed position so as to generate a compression force between the light module and the light fixture assembly.

25. The lighting assembly of claim 24, wherein the light module further comprises one or more electrical contacts configured to contact an electrical element on the light fixture assembly when the light module is coupled to the light fixture assembly.

26. A lighting assembly, comprising:

a light fixture having a thermally conductive member;

an LED light module removably coupleable to the light fixture, the light module comprising;

an LED lighting element;

a thermal interface member coupled to the LED lighting element and configured to resiliently contact the thermally-conductive member when the LED module is coupled to a socket of the light fixture; and

a printed circuit board electrically connected to the LED lighting element, the printed circuit board comprising one or more electrical contact members configured to contact one or more electrical contacts on the socket when the LED light module is installed in the light fixture; and

a compression element configured to move from a first position to a second position to generate a compression force between the LED light module and the thermally conductive member, causing the LED light module to become thermally connected to one or more thermally conductive surfaces of the thermally conductive member when the LED light module is installed in the light fixture.

27. The lighting assembly of claim 26, wherein the compression element is part of the LED light module.

28. A lighting assembly, comprising:

a light module comprising an LED lighting element; and

a socket associated with a light fixture and configured to releasably couple to the light module,

wherein the light module or socket have one or more resilient members configured to generate an axial force when the light module is removably coupled to the socket to thereby exert a force on at least a portion of the light module to resiliently maintain at least a portion of the light module in resilient contact with a thermally conductive surface of the light fixture or socket to thereby thermally couple at least a portion of the light module to the thermally conductive surface,

and wherein one or both of the light module and the socket comprises one or more engaging members that extend from a surface thereof, and wherein one or both of the light module and the socket comprises one or more recesses that removably receive the one or more engaging members therein when coupling the light module to the socket.