LED lamp with thermally conductive enclosure

• US 9,234,638 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• 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:
  US14/010,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20140036497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 362/249.02, 362/267, 362/310, 362/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 19/003 Fastening of light source holders, e.g. of circuit boards or substrates holding light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/77 with essentially identical diverging planar fins or blades, e.g. with fan-like or star-like cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/773 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/05 Insulated conductive substrates, e.g. insulated metal substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A lamp having an enclosure with a reflector and a lens where the reflector is made of thermally conductive material. A base is coupled to the enclosure. An LED is located in the enclosure and emits light when energized through an electrical path from the base. A heat sink having a heat dissipating portion that may be at least partially exposed to the ambient environment and heat conducting portion that is thermally coupled to the LED. The reflector is thermally coupled to the heat sink and is exposed to the exterior of the lamp such that heat from the heat sink may be dissipated to the ambient environment at least partially through the reflector.

Claims

1. A lamp comprising:

an enclosure comprising a reflector and a lens, the reflector being exposed to the ambient environment and being made of thermally conductive material;

a base;

at least one LED located in the enclosure and operable to emit light when energized through an electrical path from the base;

a heat sink comprising a heat dissipating portion that is at least partially exposed to the ambient environment and a heat conducting portion that is thermally coupled to the at least one LED, the reflector being thermally coupled to the heat sink and being exposed to the exterior of the lamp such that heat from the heat sink may be dissipated to the ambient environment at least partially through the reflector.

2. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the reflector is made of metal.

3. The lamp of claim 2 wherein the metal is aluminum.

4. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the reflector comprises a reflective surface that generates a directional light pattern.

5. The lamp of claim 4 wherein the reflective surface is parabolic.

6. The lamp of claim 4 wherein the reflective surface comprises one of a metalized surface, a plastic surface and a reflective paint.

7. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the reflector is secured directly to the heat sink.

8. The lamp of claim 7 wherein the reflector is secured to the heat sink using deformable nubs.

9. The lamp of claim 7 wherein the nubs are inserted through apertures in the reflector and are deformed to create a head that retains the reflector against the heat sink.

10. The lamp of claim 7 wherein the nubs are formed integrally with the heat sink.

11. The lamp of claim 1 wherein a secondary reflector reflects light from the at least one LED to the reflector.

12. The lamp of claim 11 wherein the secondary reflector is located in a chamber formed by the reflector and the lens.

13. The lamp of claim 11 wherein the secondary reflector is located inside of the lens.

14. The lamp of claim 13 wherein the secondary reflector is inserted molded in the lens.

15. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the heat sink extends between the enclosure and the base.

16. A lamp comprising:

an enclosure comprising a reflector housing being exposed to the ambient environment and being made of a thermally conductive material and a reflector located in the enclosure;

a lens for emitting light from the enclosure;

a base;

at least one LED located in the enclosure and operable to emit light when energized through an electrical path from the base;

a heat sink comprising a first part that is located inside of the enclosure and that is thermally coupled to the at least one LED and a second part that is thermally coupled to the first part;

the reflector housing being thermally coupled to the heat sink and being exposed to the exterior of the lamp such that heat from the heat sink may be dissipated to the ambient environment at least partially through the reflector housing.

17. The lamp of claim 16 wherein the reflector housing is made of metal.

18. The lamp of claim 17 wherein the metal is aluminum.

19. The lamp of claim 17 wherein the reflector comprises a reflective surface that generates a light pattern.

20. The lamp of claim 16 wherein the reflector housing comprises a flange that surrounds and engages a portion of the heat sink.

21. The lamp of claim 20 wherein the flange is secured to the heat sink using a friction fit.

22. The lamp of claim 20 wherein the flange is heat shrunk over the heat sink.

23. The lamp of claim 20 wherein the flange is crimped to the heat sink.

24. The lamp of claim 20 wherein the flange is swaged to the heat sink.

25. The lamp of claim 19 wherein the heat sink is disposed between the enclosure and the base.

26. The lamp of claim 16 wherein the at least one LED comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged such that the plurality of LEDs are disposed about the periphery of the first part in a band and face outwardly toward the enclosure to create a source of the light that appears as a glowing filament.

27. The lamp of claim 26 wherein at least selected ones of the plurality of LEDs emit light laterally.

28. The lamp of claim 16 wherein further comprising a clamping structure for clamping the at least one LED to the heat sink.

29. The lamp of claim 28 wherein the clamping structure comprises a pair of extensions on the LED assembly that engage mating receptacles formed on the heat sink.

30. The lamp of claim 28 wherein the plurality of LEDs are mounted on a submount where the clamping structure comprises a pair of extensions extending from the submout that engage mating receptacles formed on the heat sink.