LED light fixture

• US 9,028,087 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2014
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• 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: Wilcox, Kurt S., Kinnune, Brian, Snell, Nathan, Sorenson, Jeremy, Goldstein, Corey, Medendorp, Nicholas W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US14/246,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20140218941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 362/249.02, 362/294, 362/373, 362/218
• US Class Current: 362/101
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/20 Light sources comprising attachment means
• 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 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 21/116 Fixing lighting devices to arms or standards F21V21/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• 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 29/71 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: F21Y 2103/10 : comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/16 : square or rectangular, e.g. for light panels
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 : Combination of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 : Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 : Light emitting diode

Abstract

An LED light fixture including a housing and an LED assembly secured with respect to the housing. The LED assembly includes a heat sink and an LED illuminator secured with respect to an LED-supporting region of the heat sink with heat-dissipating surfaces extending therefrom. The heat sink having front, rear and lateral sides and being open to ambient-fluid flow to and from the heat-dissipating surfaces along each of the sides.

Claims

1. An LED lighting fixture comprising a housing portion and an LED-supporting heat sink having lateral, front and rear sides and being open for air/water-flow along each of the sides, the housing portion defining a venting gap permitting air/water-flow to and from the LED-supporting heat sink.

2. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein:

the housing portion includes a substantially closed chamber enclosing at least one electronic LED driver; and

the heat sink includes an LED-supporting region and heat-dissipating surfaces extending therefrom; and

an LED illuminator secured with respect to the LED-supporting region of the heat sink.

3. The LED light fixture of claim 2 wherein the heat sink includes central and peripheral portions, the central portion including the LED-supporting region and having central heat-dissipating surfaces opposite the LED illuminator, the peripheral portion having peripheral heat-dissipating surfaces along the lateral sides of the heat sink.

4. The LED light fixture of claim 3 wherein the venting gap comprises at least one central-portion venting aperture partially defined by the housing portion and facilitating ambient-fluid flow to and from the central heat-dissipating surfaces.

5. The LED light fixture of claim 3 wherein the central portion of the heat sink has a plurality of elongate fins protruding in a direction opposite the LED illuminator and extending from distal fin-ends adjacent to the front side of the heat sink to proximal fin-ends adjacent to the rear side of the heat sink.

6. The LED light fixture of claim 5 wherein at least one of the proximal fin-ends is secured to the housing portion.

7. The LED light fixture of claim 5 wherein the fins define horizontal between-fin channels open at the distal fin-ends, the proximal fin-ends configured to permit ambient-fluid flow from the between-fin channels to the at least one central-portion aperture, thereby to facilitate liquid drainage therefrom.

8. The LED light fixture of claim 7 wherein each of the peripheral portions has at least one peripheral fin along the heat sink, the peripheral fins extending from distal fin-ends adjacent to the front side of the heat sink to proximal fin-ends adjacent to the rear side of the heat sink.

9. An LED light fixture comprising:

a frame defining a forward region and a rearward region;

the rearward region having (a) an enclosure defining a chamber enclosing electronic LED power circuitry and (b) a rearmost portion adapted for securement to a support member;

the forward region having (i) a heat sink and (ii) open spaces within the frame on either side of the heat sink, the heat sink comprising an LED-supporting region and heat-dissipating surfaces extending therefrom; and

an LED illuminator secured with respect to the LED-supporting region.

10. An LED light fixture comprising:

a frame defining a forward region and a rearward region;

the rearward region having (a) an enclosure defining a chamber enclosing electronic LED power circuitry, the enclosure having upper and lower shells, the upper shell and the frame being formed as a single piece, the lower shell being movably secured with respect to the upper shell, and (b) a rearmost portion adapted for securement to a support member;

the forward region having (i) a heat sink and (ii) open spaces within the frame on either side of the heat sink, the heat sink comprising an LED-supporting region and heat-dissipating surfaces extending therefrom; and

an LED illuminator secured with respect to the LED-supporting region.

11. An LED light fixture comprising:

a frame defining a forward region and a rearward region;

the rearward region having (a) an enclosure defining a chamber enclosing electronic LED power circuitry, and (b) a rearmost portion adapted for securement to a support member;

the forward region having (i) a heat sink and (ii) open spaces within the frame on either side of the heat sink, the heat sink comprising an LED-supporting region and heat-dissipating surfaces extending therefrom, the heat sink and the frame being formed as a single piece; and

an LED illuminator secured with respect to the LED-supporting region.

12. An LED light fixture comprising:

a frame defining a forward region and a rearward region;

the rearward region having (a) an enclosure defining a chamber enclosing electronic LED power circuitry, and (b) a rearmost portion adapted for securement to a support member;

the forward region having (i) a heat sink and (ii) open spaces within the frame on either side of the heat sink, the heat sink being open to ambient-fluid flow and comprising a central portion and peripheral portions, the central portion comprising an LED-supporting region, the peripheral portions having peripheral heat-dissipating surfaces along lateral sides of the heat sink; and

an LED illuminator secured with respect to the LED-supporting region.

13. The LED light fixture of claim 12 wherein the central portion has a plurality of fins protruding in a direction opposite the LED illuminator.

14. The LED light fixture of claim 13 wherein the heat sink comprises at least one central-portion venting aperture adjacent to the enclosure and facilitating ambient-fluid flow to and from the heat-dissipating surfaces of the central portion.

15. The LED light fixture of claim 14 wherein the central-portion venting aperture is partially defined by the enclosure.

16. An LED light fixture which in plan view comprises central and outward portions, the central portion comprising (a) an enclosure with LED power circuitry therein, (b) a heat sink secured with respect to the enclosure and supporting an LED illuminator and (c) a mount adapted for securement to a support member, the outward portion defining an outer plan-view shape of the fixture and being secured to the central portion with through-space(s) between the central and outward portions.

17. The LED light fixture of claim 16 wherein the through-space(s) is/are at least along the heat sink.

18. The LED light fixture of claim 17 wherein the through-space(s) along the heat sink is/are on opposite sides thereof.

19. The LED light fixture of claim 18 wherein there are at least two through-space(s), including at least one on each of the opposite sides of the heat sink.

20. The LED light fixture of claim 16 wherein the outward portion has an outer perimeter which in plan view is substantially similar to the footprint of a cobrahead non-LED light fixture.

21. An LED light fixture comprising (a) a housing, (b) a heat sink secured with respect to the housing, the heat sink comprising forward, rearward and lateral sides, and (c) an LED illuminator on the heat sink, the LED illuminator comprising (Ti) at least one LED emitter in thermal connection with the heat sink and (ii) an optical member over at least one LED emitter for illumination therebelow, the heat sink comprising downwardly-extending shield members at the lateral sides thereof configured and dimensioned to block illumination.

22. The LED light fixture of claim 21 wherein:

the optical member is configured for directing emitter light predominantly toward the forward side; and

the central heat-sink portion has a downwardly-extending rearward shield member at the rearward side thereof configured and dimensioned to block rearward illumination, the rearward shield member extending to a position lower than a lowermost outer-surface portion of the optical member.

23. The LED light fixture of claim 22 wherein the housing comprises a main portion including a forward wall-portion with the heat sink extending forwardly therefrom, the forward wall-portion of the housing at least partially defining the rearward shield member.

24. The LED light fixture of claim 23 wherein the main portion of the housing comprises (a) a housing body including the forward wall-portion and (b) a cover member movably secured with respect to the housing body, the housing body and the cover member forming a substantially closed chamber.

25. The LED light fixture of claim 24 wherein the cover member has a forward end secured to the forward wall-portion of the housing body and at least partially defining the rearward shield member.

26. The LED light fixture of claim 25 wherein the cover member also has a rearward end opposite the forward end and a cover wall extending therebetween, the cover wall including a lowermost portion which is at a position lower than the lowermost position of the rearward shield member to further block rearward illumination.

27. The LED light fixture of claim 24 wherein:

the fixture comprises a frame including the an open forward region and a rearward region which has a rearmost portion adapted for securement to a support member; and

the heat sink is positioned within the forward region and secured with respect to the frame with open spaces remaining therebetween.

28. The light fixture of claim 27 wherein the frame and the main portion of the housing are formed as a single piece.

29. The light fixture of claim 28 wherein the heat sink and the frame are formed as a single piece.

30. The LED light fixture of claim 27 wherein:

the housing further comprises a forward portion extending from the main portion of the housing and defining the forward region, the forward portion having outer lateral edges; and

open spaces are defined between the lateral sides of the heat sink and the outer lateral edges of the forward portion of the housing,

whereby the lateral shield members block lateral light from reflection by the forward portion of the housing.