LED lighting systems for product display cases

• US 20050265019A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (f/k/a GE Lighting Solutions, LLC) (American Industrial Partners)
• Original Assignee: Gelcore (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Bohler, Chris, Mayer, Mark, Petroski, James, Wesorick, Melissa, Sommers, Mathew
• Granted Patent: US 7,954,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/217.160
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0426 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/015 Devices for covering joints between adjacent lighting devices; End coverings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/001 the light sources being semiconductors devices, e.g. LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/717 using split or remote units thermally interconnected, e.g. by thermally conductive bars or heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/767 the planes containing the fins or blades having directions perpendicular to the light emitting axis
• 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: F21W 2131/305 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/405 for shop-windows or displays
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/00 Lighting arrangements in general F21

Abstract

A lighting assembly for illuminating a display case includes an LED that illuminates items placed in the display case. The lighting assembly can attach to a door, a door frame, or another structure of the display case.

Claims

1. A lighting assembly for illuminating a display case, the assembly comprising:

an LED device, the LED device comprising at least one of a side emitting LED and a lambertian LED;

an elongated heat sink in thermal communication with the LED; and

a reflector disposed in relation to the LED to reflect light emitted from the LED.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising power conditioning circuitry for converting AC power to DC power and for correcting polarity of the power.

3. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a stand off connected to the heat sink for spacing the heat sink from a surface of the display case.

4. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a mounting structure connected to the heat sink, wherein the mounting structure is configured to be received by a clip used to mount a fluorescent fixture inside a refrigerated display.

5. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a thermally conductive substrate upon which the LED is mounted, the LED being in thermal communication with the heat sink via the thermally conductive substrate.

6. The assembly of claim 5, further comprising a thermally conductive layer interposed between the substrate and the heat sink, the thermally conductive layer filling voids that occur when the substrate is brought adjacent the heat sink.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongated heat sink is dimensioned having a height z and a length y, which is the greatest dimension, the LED being disposed below the height z such that the LED is not visible when viewing the assembly from a side along the length y.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflector is shaped and disposed in relation to the LED such that the reflector allows light from the lens to pass over the reflector to illuminate products disposed in the display case.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflector is shaped to direct light in opposite directions away from a longitudinal axis of the assembly.

10. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a translucent cover disposed over the LED.

11. The assembly of claim 10, further comprising a tinted layer disposed on at least one of the reflector and the cover.

12. A light assembly for illuminating opposite sides of a mullion in a refrigerated display case comprising:

a plurality of LEDs;

a thermally conductive printed circuit board (“

PCB”

), wherein the LEDs are mounted to the circuit board;

a heat sink in thermal communication with the PCB;

a mounting structure connected to the heat sink, the mounting structure being adapted to mount to a mullion of an associated display case; and

a reflector disposed in relation to the LEDs such that light is directed to opposite sides of the mullion.

13. The light assembly of claim 12, wherein the heat sink has a width about equal to a width of the mullion.

14. The light assembly of claim 12, wherein the reflector comprises a first reflector, and the assembly further comprising a second reflector, the second reflector being positioned in relation to the first reflector such that light bounces off the first reflector towards the second reflector.

15. The light assembly of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first reflector and the second reflector connects to a shelf of the associated display case.

16. An illuminated display case comprising:

an enclosure;

a door connected to the enclosure for providing access to the enclosure, the door including a panel through which items can be seen that are disposed in the enclosure;

an LED mounted to the panel; and

conductors mounted to the panel for providing power to the LED.

17. A lighting assembly for use in a display case, the assembly comprising:

an LED;

a support adapted to attach to at least one of a shelf and a door frame adjacent the shelf of an associated display case;

a reflector attached to the support, the reflector being shaped and disposed in relation to the LED such that the reflector directs light from the LED above and below the shelf.

18. The assembly of claim 17, further comprising a mounting structure configured to connect to the shelf, wherein the LED mounts to the mounting structure and directs light toward the door frame.

19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the mounting structure comprises a heat isolative stand off.

20. The assembly of claim 17, further comprising a mounting structure configured to connect to the door frame, wherein the LED mounts to the mounting structure and directs light toward the shelf.