Replacement Illumination Device for a Miniature Flashlight Bulb

• US 20100165611A1
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LEDVANCE LLC (MLS Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TerraLUX Incorporated
• Inventors: Catalano, Anthony, Harrison, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,033,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/184
• 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 9/238 Arrangement or mounting of circuit elements integrated in the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/02 characterised by the provision of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/027 the light sources being a LED
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/005 the substrate is supporting also the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/048 the lens being a simple lens adapted to cooperate with a point-like source for emitting mainly in one direction and having an axis coincident with the main light transmission direction, e.g. convergent or divergent lenses, plano-concave or plano-convex lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/06 with parabolic curvature
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/24 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/28 characterised by coatings
• 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: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• 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: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for providing a light emitting diode and driving circuitry integrated into a component module that will retrofit common incandescent lightbulb applications. The disclosed embodiments will perform with high efficiency at a wide operating voltage range with a very small size allowing for the incorporation within the envelope and form of existing lightbulb bases. Therefore, a single universal LED light bulb module can be used to replace the dozens of conventional LED and incandescent lights currently being used. The electronic circuitries used to drive the LEDs are extremely compact and consequently can be incorporated in nearly any standard bulb base.

Claims

1. A component module for use in modifying an incandescent light projecting illumination system for producing light using electrical energy, said illumination system including a standard bulb socket that is arranged to receive a standard incandescent bulb base forming part of a standard incandescent lamp having a standard volume envelope and used to connect the incandescent lamp to electrical energy from a power source for producing light by using the electrical energy from the power source and a lens positioned for directing light from the incandescent lamp out of the illumination system when the incandescent lamp is connected with the power source, the lens at least partially surrounding the incandescent lamp when the incandescent lamp is positioned for directing light, said component module comprising:

a light module base with a shape that is substantially the same as the standard incandescent bulb base to allow the light module base to connect to the power source;

at least one solid state light emitter that produces light in response to electrical energy that is in a different form than the electrical energy provided by the power source and supported such that the light produced by the light emitter is directed out of the illumination system by the lens; and

a driving circuit in electrical communication with the light module base and the solid state light emitter for converting the electrical energy from the power source to the form that is usable by the solid state light emitter when the light module base is connected with the power source using the standard bulb socket and wherein the component module is compact enough to fit within a volume envelope of the incandescent lamp.

2. A component module as defined in claim 1, further comprising a heat sink device in thermal communication with the solid state light emitter for conducting heat away from the solid state light emitter, the thermally conducting heat sink device arranged to position the light emitter at a location which causes the lens to direct the light out of the illumination system.

3. A component module as defined in claim 1 wherein the solid state light emitter is an LED.

4. A component module as defined in claim 1 wherein the solid state light emitter includes more than one LED.

5. A component module as defined in claim 1 wherein the solid state light emitter is supported by a printed circuit board.

6. A component module as defined in claim 1 wherein there are at least two solid state light emitters which are supported on opposite sides of a printed circuit board,