Gas cooled LED lamp

• US 9,395,051 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jong-Suk (James)
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, William N
• Application Number:
  US13/446,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20130271972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 362/267, 362/310, 362/231, 362/249.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/23 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with a single fitting for each light source, e.g. for substitution of incandescent lamps with bayonet or threaded fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/64 using wavelength conversion means distinct or spaced from the light-generating element, e.g. a remote phosphor layer
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/14 the elements being filters or photoluminescent elements, reflectors and refractors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/85 characterised by the material liquid coolants F21V29/56
• 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 3/08 the material comprising photoluminescent substances
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/10 comprising photoluminescent material
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2107/00 Light sources with three-dimensionally disposed light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A gas cooled LED lamp and submount is disclosed. The centralized nature of the LEDs allows the LEDs to be configured near the central portion of the optical envelope of the lamp. In some embodiments, the LEDs can be mounted on or fixed to a light transmissive submount. In some embodiments, LEDs can be disposed on both sides of a two-sided submount, or on thee or more sides if the submount structure includes three or more mounting surfaces. In example embodiments, the LEDs can be cooled and/or cushioned by a gas in thermal communication with the LED array to enable the LEDs to maintain an appropriate operating temperature for efficient operation and long life. In some embodiments, the gas is at a pressure of from about 0.5 to about 10 atmospheres and has a thermal conductivity of at least about 60 mW/m-K.

Claims

1. An LED lamp comprising:

a light transmissive submount further comprising a top portion and a bottom portion not directly connected, each with two mounting surfaces;

wires connecting the top portion and the bottom portion, the wires providing both structural support and an electrical connection;

a plurality of LEDs, wherein at least some of the plurality of LEDs are disposed on each of the two mounting surfaces of the top portion and the bottom portion of the light transmissive submount so that light from the LEDs passes through the submount; and

an electrical connection including a thermally resistive electrical path between the plurality of LEDs and a base of the LED lamp.

2. The LED lamp of claim 1 further comprising a thermic constituent in thermal communication with the at least one of, the plurality of LEDs, and the light transmissive submount.

3. The LED lamp of claim 2 further comprising an optically transmissive enclosure.

4. The LED lamp of claim 3 wherein the light transmissive submount further comprises at least one of ceramic and sapphire.

5. The LED lamp of claim 4 wherein the light transmissive submount further comprises alumina.

6. The LED lamp of claim 3 wherein the thermic constituent further comprises a gas with a thermal conductivity of at least 60 mW/m-K.

7. The LED lamp of claim 6 wherein the thermic constituent further comprises a gas with a thermal conductivity of at least 150 mW/m-K.

8. The LED lamp of claim 6 wherein the gas comprises helium.

9. The LED lamp of claim 8 wherein the gas comprises hydrogen.

10. The LED lamp of claim 6 wherein the gas comprises at least one of a chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon, difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane.

11. The LED lamp of claim 6 wherein the gas is at a pressure of from about 0.5 to about 10 atmospheres.

12. The LED lamp of claim 11 wherein the gas is at a pressure of from about 0.8 to about 1.2 atmospheres.

13. The LED lamp of claim 11 wherein the gas is at a pressure of about 2 atmospheres.

14. The LED lamp of claim 11 wherein the gas is at a pressure of about 3 atmospheres.

15. A method of making an LED lamp, the method comprising:

providing an optically transmissive enclosure;

centrally locating an LED array on a light transmissive submount in the enclosure so that light from the LED array passes through the submount, the submount comprising a top portion and a bottom portion not directly connected;

connecting the top portion and the bottom portion with wires, the wires providing both structural support and an electrical connection;

connecting the LED array to an increased thermally resistive electrical path to a base of the LED lamp to be energized to emit light, the increased thermally resistive electrical path to prevent heat from damaging LEDs in the LED array;

placing a gas with a thermal conductivity of at least 60 mW/m-K in the optically transmissive enclosure so that the gas provides thermal coupling to the LED array; and

applying the heat to seal the optically transmissive enclosure so that the thermally resistive electrical path prevents the heat from damaging electronics within the LED lamp.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the electronics further comprises a power supply.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the gas comprises helium.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the gas comprises hydrogen.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein gas comprises at least one of a chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon, difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the gas is at a pressure of from about 0.5 to about 10 atmospheres.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the gas is at a pressure of from about 0.8 to about 1.2 atmospheres.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the gas is at a pressure of about 2 atmospheres.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the gas is at a pressure of about 3 atmospheres.

24. The method of claim 16 further comprising mounting the LEDs in the LED array on a plurality of sides of the light transmissive submount.

25. The method of claim 16 further comprising placing phosphor within or on the optically transmissive enclosure.

26. An LED lamp comprising:

a light transmissive enclosure;

a thermally resistive submount further comprising a top portion and a bottom portion not directly connected except for wires providing both structural support and an electrical connection;

a plurality of LEDs, wherein at least some of the plurality of LEDs are disposed on each of the top portion and bottom portion of the thermally resistive submount; and

an electrical connection including a thermally resistive electrical path through the thermally resistive submount between the plurality of LEDs and a base of the LED lamp;

wherein the submount is light transmissive so that light can pass through the submount.

27. The LED lamp of claim 26 further comprising a thermic constituent in thermal communication with the at least one of, the plurality of LEDs, and the submount.

28. The LED lamp of claim 27 wherein the submount further comprises at least one of ceramic and sapphire.

29. The LED lamp of claim 27 wherein the submount further comprises alumina.

30. The LED lamp of claim 27 wherein the thermic constituent further comprises a gas with a thermal conductivity of at least 60 mW/m-K.

31. The LED lamp of claim 27 wherein the thermic constituent further comprises a gas with a thermal conductivity of at least 150 mW/m-K.