Directionally-adjustable LED spotlight

• US 7,744,259 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ruud Lighting Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Guillien, Wayne, Wilcox, Kurt, Walczak, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Jong-Suk (James)
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shallenberger; Julie A
• Application Number:
  US11/541,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20080080190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,368 Days
• Field of Search: 362470-471, 362/294, 362/373, 362/800, 362249-250, 362/418, 362/427, 362/443, 362/419, 362/421, 362/429, 362/430
• US Class Current: 362/421
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/02 by movement of light sources in vehicle head lamps F21S41/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of 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: F21V 29/89 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

The inventive directionally-adjustable LED spotlight is comprised of a fixed heat sink and an LED-array-bearing structure. The LED-array-bearing structure is adjustably attached in a heat transfer relationship to the fixed heat sink.

Claims

1. A directionally-adjustable LED spotlight comprising a fixed heat sink with an arcuate interior surface, and a plurality of LEDs on a ball shaped LED array bearing structure with an arcuate exterior surface adjustably attached within the heat sink and in complementary direct heat transfer relationship therewith wherein the LED-array-bearing structure and heat sink are of a ball and socket design wherein the LED-array-bearing structure is the ball and the heat sink is the socket.

2. The directionally-adjustable LED spotlight of claim 1 wherein the ball-shaped LED-array-bearing structure is hollow.

3. The directionally-adjustable LED spotlight of claim 2 further comprising a retention assembly for releasably securing the ball-shaped LED-array-bearing structure in relation to the socket shaped heat sink.

4. The directionally-adjustable LED spotlight of claim 3 wherein the retention assembly comprises a collar releasably secured along an upper edge of the fixed heat sink.

5. The directionally-adjustable LED spotlight of claim 4 wherein the collar comprises multiple sections.

6. The directionally-adjustable LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein the LED array includes a first side with the LEDs and a second side, opposite the first side, and

wherein the LED-array-bearing structure includes a platform portion corresponding in size to the second side of the LED array, the platform portion for receiving the LED array whereby the second side of the LED array is in contact with the platform portion.

7. The directionally-adjustable LED spotlight of claim 6 where the ball portion of the LED-array-bearing structure and the heat sink are made from a heat-conducting material.

8. The directionally-adjustable LED spotlight of claim 7, wherein the heat-conducting material is metal.

9. The directionally-adjustable LED spotlight of claim 8, wherein the heat sink includes a plurality of fins extending outwardly from a side of the heat sink opposite the ball-shaped LED-array-bearing structure.

10. A directionally-adjustable LED spotlight comprising a fixed heat sink with an arcuate interior surface, and a plurality of LEDs on a ball shaped LED array bearing structure with a solid arcuate exterior surface adjustably attached in complementary surface contact within the fixed heat sink wherein the LED-array-bearing structure and heat sink are of a ball and socket design wherein the LED-array-bearing structure is the ball and the heat sink is the socket.