Illuminating apparatus

• US 8,858,039 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawagoe, Shinya, Hashimoto, Naotaka, Kojima, Toshiyasu, Ikeda, Taku, Taniuchi, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAMLING, SEAN P
• Application Number:
  US13/132,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20110233593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 362/294, 362/373
• US Class Current: 362/373
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/233 specially adapted for generating a spot light distribution, e.g. for substitution of reflector lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/68 Details of reflectors forming part of the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/69 Details of refractors forming part of the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/14 with many small apertures
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/505 of reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/80 with pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/86 Ceramics or glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/09 with a combination of different curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements

Abstract

Provided is a lighting apparatus that is suitable as a substitute for a conventional halogen lamp when positively utilizing leaked light. The lighting apparatus comprises: a heat dissipator 12 that is in one of a bottomed cylindrical shape and a bowl shape, and that has a bottom portion, a circumferential wall portion, and an opening; and a light-emitting device 18b that is provided inside the heat dissipator 12 at the bottom portion and is operable to emit light, wherein the heat dissipator 12 has one or more windows 19 for leaking the emitted light outside the heat dissipator 12.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus comprising:

a heat dissipater that is in one of a bottomed cylindrical shape and a bowl shape, and that has a bottom portion, a circumferential wall portion, and an upper opening; and

a light-emitting device that is provided in an inside of the heat dissipater at the bottom portion and is operable to emit light through the upper opening and towards the circumferential wall portion, wherein

the circumferential wall portion has one or more windows for leaking a portion of the emitted light to illuminate an outside of the heat dissipater,

the circumferential wall portion has an inner surface and an outer surface,

the light-emitting device is provided in a space defined by the inner surface of the circumferential wall, and

the windows are through-holes that pass through the inner surface and the outer surface of the circumferential wall portion, and each throughhole is closed off by a translucent member that transmits the portion of the emitted light.

2. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the windows are provided at equal intervals in a circumferential direction of the circumferential wall portion.

3. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein

a size of each window is such that the closer the window is to the upper opening of the heat dissipater, the larger the size of the window is.

4. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein

each window is provided in a part of the circumferential wall portion located between first and second virtual planes, the first virtual plane including the opening of the heat dissipater, the second virtual plane passing through the light-emitting device and being perpendicular to a central axis of the heat dissipater that is in one of the bottomed cylindrical shape and the bowl shape.

5. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the translucent member is colorless.

6. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the translucent member is a color filter.

7. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the heat dissipater also serves as a reflector.

8. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the heat dissipater is made of one of a metal material, a non-translucent ceramic material, and a non-translucent resin material.

9. The lighting apparatus of claim 8 further comprising

a heat-conductive member that is provided between the light-emitting device and the bottom portion of the heat dissipater.

10. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a case fixed to an outer surface of the bottom portion of the heat dissipator; and

a lighting circuit housed in the case, the case having a metal shell and a metal eyelet that serve as electrical feed terminals for mounting in an external power source.

11. A lighting apparatus to replace a halogen lamp comprising:

a heat dissipater that has a bowl shape with a flat bottom portion, an annular circumferential wall portion extending upward from the flat bottom portion, and an upper opening; and

a light-emitting LED device is provided inside the heat dissipater on the bottom portion and is operable to emit light through the opening and towards the circumferential wall portion, wherein

the annular circumferential wall portion has a plurality of spaced windows for emitting a portion of the emitted light through and around the circumferential wall portion to illuminate an outside of the heat dissipater to simulate a surrounding light of halogen lamps,

the annular circumferential wall portion has a reflector inner surface that reflects light through the upper opening and an outer surface,

the light-emitting LED device is provided in a space defined by the reflector inner surface of the annular circumferential wall, and

the plurality of spaced windows are through-holes that pass through the inner surface and the outer surface of the annular circumferential wall portion to simulate the surrounding light of halogen lamps.

12. The lighting apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a case fixed to an outer surface of the bottom portion of the heat dissipator;

a lighting circuit housed in the case, the case having a metal shell and a metal eyelet that serves as electrical feed terminals for mounting in an external power source; and

each throughhole is closed off by a transparent member that transmits the portion of the emitted light to simulate the surrounding light of halogen lamps.