SOLID STATE LIGHTING DEVICE WITH IMPROVED HEATSINK

• US 20110006658A1
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cree Lighting Company (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chan, Wai Kwan, Darley, Derek Ian, Van De Ven, Antony Paul, Negley, Gerald H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,476,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/45
• CPC Class Codes: B21K 21/10 cone-shaped or bell-shaped articles, e.g. insulator caps
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/233 specially adapted for generating a spot light distribution, e.g. for substitution of reflector lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/51 using condensation or evaporation of a fluid, e.g. heat pipes
• 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 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A solid state lighting device includes at least one emitter and a forged heatsink arranged to receive and dissipate heat generated by emitter(s). The heatsink may have a thickness and/or profile that varies in at leats two dimensions. Fabrication of a solid state lighting device may include providing a forged heatsink, and mounting at least one solid state emitter in thermal communication with the heatsink. A space or object may be illuminated with a lighting device including at least one solid state emitter and a forged heatsink. The lighting device may be operated responsive to at least one sensor arranged to sense temperature and/or at least one characteric of light emitted by the emitter(s).

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising at least one solid state emitter and a forged heatsink in thermal communication with the at least one solid state emitter.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the forged heatsink has a thickness and/or profile that varies in at least two dimensions.

3. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the forged heatsink is formed by an impression forging process utilizing a plurality of impression forging dies.

4. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the forged heatsink comprises a plurality of integrally formed forged protrusions arranged to aid in dissipating heat.

5. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the forged heatsink has a thermal conductivity of at least about 200 W/(m·

K).

6. The lighting device of claim 1, comprising a ballast mounted in or on a body structure of the lighting device.

7. The lighting device of claim 1, comprising a reflector arranged to reflect at least a portion of light emitted by the at least one solid state emitter.

8. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one solid state emitter is adapted to emit white light.

9. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one solid state emitter comprises a plurality of solid state emitters.

10. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein each solid state emitter of the plurality of solid state emitters is independently controllable.

11. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the forged heatsink is electrically isolated from the at least one solid state emitter.

12. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the forged heatsink defines at least one aperture arranged to receive an electrical conductor operatively connected to the at least one solid state emitter.

13. The lighting device of claim 1, further comprising a lens arranged to transmit at least a portion of light emitted by the at least one solid state emitter.

14. The lighting device of claim 1, further comprising at least one luminescent material arranged to receive light emitted by at least one solid state emitter, and to responsively re-emit light of a different dominant wavelength than the light emitted by the at least one solid state emitter.

15. The lighting device of claim 1, further comprising at least one heatpipe formed within at least a portion of the forged heatsink.

16. A lamp or light fixture comprising the lighting device of claim 1.

17. A method of fabricating a solid state lighting device, the method comprising:

providing a forged heatsink; and

mounting at least one solid state emitter to the lighting device in thermal communication with the heatsink.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein providing the forged heatsink comprises forging of a thermally conductive heatsink material utilizing an impression die forming apparatus including at least two impression dies.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein providing the forged heatsink comprises forging of a thermally conductive heatsink material to vary the thickness and/or profile of the heatsink in at least two dimensions.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said forging includes formation of a plurality of outward protrusions.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein at least some protrusions of the plurality of protrusions have a cross-sectional area that decreases with increasing distance from a center of gravity from the forged heatsink.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming at least one heatpipe in at least a portion of the forged heatsink.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising mounting a reflector proximate to the at least one solid state emitter, wherein the reflector is arranged to reflect at least a portion of light emitted by the at least one solid state emitter.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one solid state emitter comprises a plurality of solid state emitters.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising forming a distinct electrically conductive control path to each emitter of the plurality of solid state emitters.

26. A method comprising illumination of a space or object utilizing a lighting device comprising at least one solid state emitter and a forged heatsink in thermal communication with the at least one solid state emitter.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising dissipating heat from the heatsink to air within an environment proximate to the lighting device.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one solid state emitter is adapted to emit white light.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one solid state emitter comprises a plurality of solid state emitters, and the method further comprises independently operating each emitter of the plurality of emitters.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of solid state emitters includes emitters having different dominant emission wavelengths, and the method further comprises independently controlling at least two emitters of the plurality of emitters to vary output color emitted by the lighting device.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising operating a cooling device in thermal communication with the forged heatsink to cool the forged heatsink.

32. A heatsink adapted for use with a solid state lighting device to dissipate heat emanating from at least one solid state emitter, the heatsink comprising a forged body having a thickness and/or profile that varies in at least two dimensions.

33. The heatsink of claim 32, comprising a plurality of integrally formed forged protrusions arranged to aid in dissipating heat.

34. The heatsink of claim 32, having a thermal conductivity of at least about 200 W/(m·

K).

35. The heatsink of claim 32, comprising at least one heatpipe formed within at least a portion of the heatsink.

36. The heatsink of claim 32, defining an internal cavity adapted to receive at least a portion of a reflector arranged to reflect light emitted by at least one solid state emitter in thermal communication with the heatsink.

37. A method of fabricating a heatsink adapted for use with a solid state lighting device to dissipate heat emanating from at least one solid state emitter, the method comprising forging of a thermally conductive heatsink material utilizing an impression die forming apparatus including at least two impression dies to vary the thickness and/or profile of the heatsink in at least two dimensions.