LED lighting fixture

• US 9,039,223 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• 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., Walczak, Steven R., Guilllien, Wayne, Rudd, Alan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US13/834,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20140104835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 362/101, 362/249.02, 362/373, 362/294
• US Class Current: 362/101
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/20 Light sources comprising attachment means
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• 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 15/013 the housing being an extrusion
• 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 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/009 the casing being inside the housing of the lighting device
• 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 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• 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: F21W 2131/40 : Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 : comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 : Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 : Light emitting diode

Abstract

An LED lighting fixture including a housing and an LED assembly secured with respect to the housing to permit air/water-flow over the LED assembly. The LED assembly includes a plurality of LED-array modules on an equal plurality of individual heat sinks. The housing defines an air gap permitting air/water-flow to and from the heat sinks.

Claims

1. An LED lighting fixture comprising a housing and an LED assembly secured with respect to the housing such that the LED assembly is open to air and water, the LED assembly including a plurality of LED-array modules on an equal plurality of individual heat sinks, the housing defining an air gap permitting air/water-flow to and from the heat sinks.

2. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the heat sinks are separate structures connected with respect to the housing.

3. The LED lighting fixture of claim 2 further including at least one connection device holding adjacent pairs of the individual heat sinks with respect to one another.

4. The LED lighting fixture of claim 3 wherein the connection device is integral with at least one of the adjacent heat sinks.

5. The LED lighting fixture of claim 4 wherein the connection device holds the adjacent heat sinks in side-by-side relationship to one another.

6. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein:

the housing defines a closed chamber; and

at least one electronic driver is within the chamber.

7. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 further including a protective cover extending over the LED assembly and secured with respect to the housing, the protective cover having perforations permitting air/water-flow therethrough.

8. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the housing is a perimetrical structure with first and second border structures being on opposed perimetrical sides of the LED assembly and a frame structure is secured on a perimetrical side between the border structures.

9. The LED lighting fixture of claim 8 wherein the perimetrical structure is substantially rectangular and includes a pair of opposed frame structures each connected to the first and second border structures.

10. The LED lighting fixture of claim 8 wherein each heat sink has two heat -sink ends, one heat-sink end being at the first border structure and the other heat-sink end being at the second border structure.

11. The LED lighting fixture of claim 10 wherein the venting gap is between at least one of the heat-sink ends and the corresponding border structure.

12. The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein each heat sink is an extrusion having a module-engaging surface and a heat-dissipating surface.

13. The LED lighting fixture of claim 12 wherein, in each heat sink, the heat-dissipating surface includes at least one fin protruding therefrom.

14. The LED lighting fixture of claim 13 further including at least one connection device holding adjacent pairs of the individual heat sinks with respect to one another.

15. The LED lighting fixture of claim 14 wherein the connection device is integral with at least one of the adjacent heat sinks.

16. The LED lighting fixture of claim 14 wherein the connection device holds the adjacent heat sinks in side-by-side relationship to one another.