Liquid cooled light bulb

• US 9,310,064 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bao Tran
• Original Assignee: Bao Tran
• Inventors: Tran, Bao
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Y M
• Application Number:
  US13/845,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20140268769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,122 Days
• 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 19/0005 of sources having contact pins, wires or blades, e.g. pinch sealed lamp F21V19/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/502 characterised by the adaptation for cooling of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/56 using liquid coolants F21V29/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/89 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/061 the material being glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/062 the material being plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for making a light segment by forming a sealed body having an interior chamber; creating a boiling enhancement surface positioned in a predetermined location on the interior chamber; filling the interior chamber with a liquid portion and thermally coupled to the liquid portion at all orientations of the light blade; and boiling the liquid portion with a light source located on the predetermined location on an exterior portion of the sealed body.

Claims

1. A light blade, comprising:

a sealed body having an interior chamber with a liquid portion and a vapor or gas portion;

a boiling enhancement surface positioned in a predetermined location on the interior chamber and thermally coupled to the liquid portion at all orientations of the light blade;

a solid state light source thermally coupled to the predetermined location on an exterior portion of the sealed body the solid state light source optically communicating data while providing lighting, light transceiver control electronics to provide an optical data transmission network using the light source; and

a base having a heat-spreader base connected to finger-shaped projections of a plurality of sealed bodies, wherein the heat-spreader base is configured to conductively transfer heat from the finger-shaped projections; and

a connector base configured to connect the base of an LED bulb to a fixture.

2. The light blade of claim 1, comprising a connector to electrically couple the light source to power and to allow replacement of the light blade if defective.

3. The light blade of claim 1, wherein the sealed body comprising the finger-shaped projection comprising an angled top portion.

4. The LED bulb of claim 1 further comprising at least one thermal bed disposed between at least one of the LEDs and at least one of LED mounting surfaces.

5. A bulb, comprising:

a base to receive one or more light blades, each light blade including;

a sealed body having an interior chamber with a liquid portion and a vapor or gas portion;

a boiling enhancement surface positioned in a predetermined location on the interior chamber and thermally coupled to the liquid portion at all orientations of the light blade; and

a light source thermally coupled to the predetermined location on an exterior portion of the sealed body;

a shell connected to the base;

a plurality of light sources on the light blades; and

a plurality of mounting surfaces disposed within the shell, wherein each light source is mounted to one of the mounting surfaces of the light blades, wherein the mounting surfaces face different radial directions, and wherein the mounting surfaces are configured to facilitate a passive convective flow of a thermally conductive liquid within the bulb.

6. The bulb of claim 5, wherein the light source comprises a solid state light.

7. The bulb of claim 6, comprising light transceiver control electronics to provide an optical data transmission network using the light source.

8. The bulb of claim 5, comprising a connector to electrically couple the light source to power and to allow replacement of the light blade if defective.

9. The bulb of claim 5, wherein the sealed body comprising a finger-shaped projection comprising an angled top portion.

10. A light emitting diode (LED) bulb, comprising:

a base to receive one or more light blades, each light blade including;

a sealed body having an interior chamber with a liquid portion and a vapor or gas portion;

a boiling enhancement surface positioned in a predetermined location on the interior chamber and thermally coupled to the liquid portion at all orientations of the light blade;

an LED thermally coupled to the predetermined location on an exterior portion of the sealed body; and

an LED mounting surface, wherein the LED is mounted to the LED mounting surface, wherein the LED mounting surface faces different radial directions, and wherein the LED mounting surface provides a passive convective flow of a thermally conductive liquid within the LED bulb; and

a shell connected to the base;

wherein the thermally conductive liquid held within the shell.

11. The LED bulb of claim 10, wherein the LEDs are immersed in the thermally conductive liquid.

12. The LED bulb of claim 10, wherein the LED mounting surfaces are immersed in the thermally conductive liquid.

13. The LED bulb of claim 10, wherein the LED mounting surfaces are portions of LED mounts.

14. The LED bulb of claim 13, wherein the LED mounts are finger-shaped projections, wherein the finger-shaped projections project into the thermally conductive liquid held within the shell.

15. The LED bulb of claim 14, wherein each of the finger-shaped projections includes an angled top portion.

16. The LED bulb of claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of channels formed between pairs of the finger-shaped projections, wherein the finger-shaped projections and the plurality of channels are configured to facilitate a passive convective flow of the thermally conductive liquid through the plurality of channels when the LED bulb is oriented in the at least three different orientations.

17. The LED bulb of claim 16, wherein the plurality of channels is configured to direct the thermally conductive liquid to flow up away from the base through the plurality of channels in the center of the LED bulb and flow down a surface of the shell in the first orientation.

18. The LED bulb of claim 16, wherein the plurality of channels is configured to direct the thermally conductive liquid to flow up through the plurality of channels and down a surface of the shell in the second orientation.

19. The LED bulb of claim 16, wherein the plurality of channels is configured to direct the thermally conductive liquid to flow up towards the base through the plurality of channels in the center of the LED bulb and flow down a surface of the shell in the third orientation.

20. The LED bulb of claim 16, wherein the plurality of channels is configured to direct the thermally conductive liquid to convectively flow to transfer heat from the plurality of LEDs and the finger-shaped projections to the shell, when the plurality of LEDs is turned on.

21. The LED bulb of claim 16, wherein the plurality of finger-shaped projections and the plurality of channels point radially outward from the center of the shell.

22. The LED bulb of claim 16, wherein the base includes threads.

23. The LED bulb of any claim 10, wherein the thermally conductive liquid is a member of the group consisting of a mineral oil, silicone oil, glycols, and fluorocarbons.

24. A method of making a light emitting diode (LED) bulb, comprising:

obtaining a base;

mounting one or more light segments on the base, further comprising;

forming a sealed body having an interior chamber;

creating a boiling enhancement surface positioned in a predetermined location on the interior chamber;

filling the interior chamber with a first liquid portion and thermally coupled to the first liquid portion at all orientations of the light segment; and

boiling the first liquid portion with an LED located on the predetermined location on an exterior portion of the sealed body;

connecting a shell to the base;

filling the shell with a second liquid which is thermally conductive; and

disposing a plurality of LED mounting surfaces of the light segments within the shell,

wherein the LED mounting surface faces different radial directions, and wherein the LED mounting surface is configured to facilitate a passive convective flow of the second liquid comprising the thermally conductive liquid within the LED bulb to transfer heat from the LED to the shell regardless of orientation.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the LEDs and LED mounting surfaces are immersed in the thermally conductive liquid.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the second liquid is a member of the group consisting of a mineral oil, silicone oil, glycols, and fluorocarbons.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein each LED in the bulb can have a different color that when combined, can have a predetermined bulb color.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the color of the bulb is specified using a computer or mobile device such as a phone, or programmed in advance.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the bulb color is automatically changed based on a mood of the user as detected by a sensor or sensed from messages and emails recently transmitted by a user.

30. The method of claim 24, comprising a data transceiver coupled to the LED to communicate and/or transfer data over a wired network, optical network, or wireless network.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the data transceiver communicates user data or bulb data on each LED or each bulb.

32. The method of claim 24, comprising monitoring software for optimizing lighting efficiency or predictive maintenance.

33. A method for making a light segment, comprising:

providing a base having a heat-spreader base connected to finger-shaped projections of a plurality of sealed bodies, wherein the heat-spreader base is configured to conductively transfer heat from the finger-shaped projections; and

a connector base configured to connect the base of an LED bulb to a fixture;

forming a sealed body having an interior chamber;

creating a boiling enhancement surface positioned in a predetermined location on the interior chamber;

filling the interior chamber with a liquid portion and thermally coupled to the liquid portion at all orientations of the light segment; and

boiling the liquid portion with a light source located on the predetermined location on an exterior portion of the sealed body.