LED lighting device and system

• US 6,871,981 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Headsup Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Headsup Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Alexanderson, James Kenneth, Harshaw, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Quach-Lee, Y. My
• Assistant Examiner(s): Neils, Peggy A.
• Application Number:
  US09/951,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20030048641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 362/471, 362/244, 362/293, 362/800, 362/373, 362/294, 362/249, 362/488, 362/490, 362/545, 362/547, 362/240, 362/458
• US Class Current: 362/294
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/20 associated with air conditioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/43 General lighting
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/47 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/15 Strips of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/30 for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A lighting device and system for illuminating the interior of a vehicle, aircraft or building is provided. The lighting device and system includes a channel case made from a thermally conductive material, including aluminum. The channel case has a bottom edge and two opposed side edges forming an interior space. A circuit board is disposed within the interior space of the channel case and the circuit board includes circuit traces on the top, bottom or both sides of the circuit board. A heat transfer device is attached to the bottom of the circuit board and is further attached to the bottom of the channel case. A plurality of light-emitting diodes and resistors are mounted on the circuit board in series and generate light through a lens which is attached to the two opposed side edges of the channel case.

Claims

1. A lighting device for illuminating the interior of a vehicle, aircraft or building, the lighting device comprising:

a channel case made from a thermally conductive material, the channel case comprising;

a bottom edge; and

two opposed side edges;

wherein the bottom edge and the two opposed side edges form an elongated box further forming an interior space;

at least one circuit board disposed within the interior space of the channel case, wherein the at least one circuit board includes top and bottom sides and includes circuit traces;

a heat transfer device coupled to the at least one circuit board and the channel case, the heat transfer device transferring heat to the channel case;

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on the at least one circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit traces;

a plurality of resistors mounted on the at least one circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit traces;

a lens attached to the two opposed side edges of the channel case; and

wherein the lens applies a force to the at least one circuit board, compressing the heat transfer device disposed between the at least one circuit board and the bottom edge of the channel case.

2. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer device is fixedly attached to the at least one circuit board.

3. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer device is adhesively attached to the at least one circuit board.

4. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer device is removably attached to the channel case.

5. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the resistors limit the current to the LEDs.

6. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the channel case includes a channel case with heat sink fins.

7. The lighting device of claim 1 further comprising an electrical power device coupled to the circuit traces.

8. The lighting device of claim 7 wherein the electrical power device includes a power regulator capable of pulse width modulation.

9. The lighting device of claim 8 wherein the power regulator is capable of using a low electromagnetic interference waveform.

10. The lighting device of claim 7 wherein the electrical power device is coupled to the vehicle, aircraft or building.

11. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer device is Chotherm.

12. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the lens is transparent.

13. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the lens is plastic.

14. The lighting device of claim 13 wherein the plastic lens is Lexan.

15. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the LEDs are white light LEDs.

16. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of LEDs include groups of spatially interspersed LEDs.

17. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the channel case is an aluminum channel case.

18. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the at least one circuit board includes at least one flexible circuit board.

19. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the lens includes an optical filter.

20. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the LEDs are surface mounted to the at least one circuit board.

21. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the LEDs are through hole mounted to the at least one circuit board.

22. The lighting device of claim 1 further comprising a feedback circuit coupled to the power regulator.

23. The lighting device of claim 22, wherein the feedback circuit includes a temperature gauge.

24. The lighting device of claim 22, wherein the feedback circuit modifies the amount of power distributed by the power regulator.

25. The lighting device of claim 1 further comprising reverse voltage diodes coupled to the circuit traces.

26. The lighting device of claim 1 further comprising an end cap attached to an end of the channel case.

27. The lighting device of claim 26 wherein end caps are attached to both ends of the channel case.

28. The lighting device of claim 26 wherein the end cap utilizes a snap-on attachment means to attach to the end of the channel case.

29. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the channel case includes integral mounting grooves.

30. A lighting system for illuminating the interior of a vehicle, aircraft or building, the lighting system comprising:

a plurality of lighting devices, the lighting devices comprising;

a channel case made from a thermally conductive material, the channel case comprising;

a bottom edge; and

two opposed side edges;

wherein the bottom edge and the two opposed side edges form an elongated box further forming an interior space;

at least one circuit board disposed within the interior space of the channel case, wherein the at least one circuit board includes top and bottom sides and includes circuit traces;

a heat transfer device coupled to the at least one circuit board and the channel case, the heat transfer device transferring heat to the channel case;

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on the at least one circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit traces;

a plurality of resistors mounted on the at least one circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit traces;

a lens attached to the two opposed side edges of the channel case;

end caps attached to both ends of the channel case;

electrical connectors coupled to the circuit traces of each lighting device, the electrical connectors of the plurality of lighting devices fastening to the other electrical connectors of the plurality of lighting devices; and

wherein the lens applies a force to the at least one circuit board, compressing the heat transfer device disposed between the at least one circuit board and the bottom edge of the channel case.

31. The lighting system of claim 30 further comprising an electrical power device coupled to a single electrical connection of the plurality of lighting devices;

wherein the plurality of lighting devices are daisy-chained together and powered from the single electrical power device.

32. The lighting system of claim 31 wherein the electrical power device includes a power regulator capable of pulse width modulation.

33. The lighting system of claim 31 wherein the electrical power device is coupled to the vehicle, aircraft or building.

34. The lighting system of claim 30 wherein the electrical connectors protrude from end caps.

35. The lighting system of claim 30 wherein the end caps provide integral strain relief for the electrical connectors.

36. The lighting system of claim 30 wherein the plurality of lighting devices are mounted to the vehicle, aircraft or building.

37. The lighting system of claim 36 wherein the plurality of lighting devices are screw mounted to the vehicle, aircraft or building.

38. The lighting system of claim 30 wherein the plurality of lighting devices snap on to a mounting bracket attached to the vehicle, aircraft or building.

39. The lighting system of claim 30 wherein the circuit traces of the at least one circuit board are located upon multiple internal layers of the circuit board.

40. The lighting system of claim 30 wherein the circuit traces of the at least one circuit board are located upon the top side of the circuit board.

41. The lighting system of claim 30 wherein the circuit traces of the at least one circuit board are located upon both the top and bottom sides of the circuit board.

42. The lighting system of claim 30 wherein the circuit traces of the at least one circuit board are located upon the bottom sides of the circuit board.

43. The lighting system of claim 30 further comprising an electrical power device coupled to the plurality of lighting devices;

wherein the plurality of lighting devices are connected in parallel and are powered from the single electrical power device.

44. The lighting system of claim 30 wherein the electrical connectors include hard mounted electrical connectors, the hard mounted electrical connectors rigidly attaching to other hard mounted connectors.

45. The lighting system of claim 30 wherein the electrical connectors include pigtailed electrical connectors, the pigtailed electrical connectors for providing expansion and contraction of the lighting devices without unfastening.