Gas cooled LED lamp

• US 8,752,983 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hussell, Christopher P., Edmond, John Adam, Negley, Gerald H., Progl, Curt, Edmond, Mark, Athalye, Praneet, Swoboda, Charles M., van de Ven, Antony Paul, Pickard, Paul Kenneth, Reier, Bart P., Lay, James Michael, Lopez, Peter E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US13/781,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20130271990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 362/249, 362/227, 362/255, 313/512
• US Class Current: 362/249.02
• 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 29/65 the gas flowing in a closed circuit
• 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 29/85 characterised by the material liquid coolants F21V29/56
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/061 the material being glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/10 characterised by coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2107/00 Light sources with three-dimensionally disposed light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2107/30 on the outer surface of cylindrical surfaces, e.g. rod-shaped supports having a circular or a polygonal cross section
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2107/40 on the sides of polyhedrons, e.g. cubes or pyramids
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a lamp comprises an optically transmissive enclosure. An LED array is disposed in the optically transmissive enclosure operable to emit light when energized through an electrical connection. A gas is contained in the enclosure to provide thermal coupling to the LED array. The gas may include oxygen.

Claims

1. A lamp comprising:

an optically transmissive enclosure and a base defining an axis of the lamp that extends from the base to the enclosure;

an LED array disposed in a center of the optically transmissive enclosure operable to emit light when energized through an electrical connection, comprising a submount made of a thermally conductive material supporting a plurality of LEDs arranged in a band about the axis of the lamp;

a gas contained in the enclosure to provide thermal coupling to the LED array; and

a heat sink structure thermally coupled to the LED array for transmitting heat from the LED array to the gas.

2. The lamp of claim 1 where the LED array is disposed at one end of an LED assembly and the heat sink structure extends at least substantially to one side of the LED array.

3. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the heat sink structure comprises fins.

4. The lamp of claim 2 wherein the LED array is disposed toward a top of the LED assembly and the heat sink structure extends toward a bottom of the LED assembly.

5. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the LED array is disposed on an LED assembly and the LED assembly is supported on a glass stem where the heat sink structure at least partially surrounds the glass stem.

6. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the LED array is positioned such that it is disposed substantially in the center of the enclosure and the heat sink structure is offset to one side of the enclosure.

7. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the heat sink structure directly contacts the enclosure.

8. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the gas comprises helium.

9. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the gas comprises hydrogen.

10. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the gas comprises oxygen.

11. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the heat sink structure is at a distance from the enclosure of less than 8 mm.

12. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the gas is at a pressure of greater than 0.5 atmosphere.

13. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the gas is at a pressure in a range from about 0.5 to 10 atmospheres.

14. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the heat sink structure is at a distance from the enclosure of less than 8 mm.

15. The lamp of claim 1 where the heat sink structure is surrounded by the gas.

16. A lamp comprising:

an optically transmissive enclosure;

an LED array disposed in the optically transmissive enclosure to be operable to emit light when energized through an electrical connection the LED array being supported on a glass stem where the glass stem is fused to the enclosure and wherein the electrical connection comprises a thermally resistive electrical path configured to prevent overtemperature of the LED array during fusing of the glass stem to the enclosure, the LED array being mounted on an LED assembly comprising a heat sink structure where the LED array is positioned substantially in the center of the enclosure;

a gas contained in the enclosure to provide thermal coupling to the LED array.

17. The lamp of claim 16 wherein the gas comprises helium.

18. The lamp of claim 16 wherein the gas comprises hydrogen.

19. The lamp of claim 16 wherein the LED array is disposed toward one side of the LED assembly with the heat sink structure extending toward the opposite side of the LED assembly.

20. The lamp of claim 16 wherein the thermally resistive electrical path comprises a wire, the wire having a dimension such that the dimension prevents overtemperature of the LED array.

21. The lamp of claim 16 wherein the thermally resistive electrical path comprises a wire, the length of the wire being selected to prevent overtemperature of the LED array.

22. The lamp of claim 16 wherein the thermally resistive electrical path comprises a wire, the cross-sectional area of the wire being selected to prevent overtemperature of the LED array.

23. A lamp comprising:

an optically transmissive enclosure;

an LED array disposed in the optically transmissive enclosure operable to emit light when energized through an electrical connection;

a gas contained in the enclosure to provide thermal coupling to the LED array; and

a heat sink structure thermally coupled to the LED array for transmitting heat from the LED array to the gas, the heat sink structure being at a distance from the enclosure of less than 8 mm at the closest point between the heat sink structure and the enclosure.

24. The lamp of claim 23 wherein the heat sink has an exposed surface area of between approximately 2,000 to 10,000 square mm and has a thickness of about 0.25-1.0 mm.

25. The lamp of claim 23 wherein the LED array and the heat sink have a cylindrical shape.

26. The lamp of claim 23 wherein the heat sink surrounds a glass stem, the glass stem supporting the LED assembly.

27. The lamp of claim 23 wherein the lamp emits a light equivalent to a 60 Watt A-series lamp.