Modular LED unit incorporating interconnected heat sinks configured to mount and hold adjacent LED modules

• US 7,952,262 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• 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: Wilcox, Kurt, Patkus, Steven J., Walczak, Steven R., Ruud, Alan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Santiago; Mariceli
• Application Number:
  US11/860,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20080078524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 362/241, 362/555, 362/800, 362/294, 362/545, 362/249.02, 313498-512, 313 42- 57, 257 98-100
• US Class Current: 313/46
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/75 with fins or blades having different shapes, thicknesses or spacing
• 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 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A modular LED unit having a number of LED modules separately mounted on individual interconnected preferably-extruded heat sinks, each heat sink having: a base configured to engage and hold an LED module in place and, in preferred forms, to facilitate the ganging of heat-sink/LED modules; and a plurality of fins, including inner-fins and side-fins, projecting from the opposite surface of the base and extending therealong, the side-fins having interlocking features to facilitate the ganging of heat-sink/module units together and, in preferred forms, to facilitate interconnection of the modular LED unit to other portions of a lighting fixture.

Claims

1. A modular LED unit comprising at least one LED module each module bearing an array of LEDs and being mounted on a separate corresponding one of a plurality of individual interconnected heat sinks, each heat sink having:

a base with a module-engaging surface, a heat-dissipation surface, two base-ends and two opposite sides, each LED module being against the module-engaging surface of a corresponding heat-sink; and

a female side-fin and a male side-fin, one along each of the opposite sides and each projecting from the heat-dissipation surface and terminating at a distal fin-edge, the female side-fin including a flange hook positioned to engage the distal fin-edge of the male side-fin of an adjacent heat sink to hold each adjacent pair of heat sinks in side-by-side relationship to one another.

2. The modular LED unit of claim 1 wherein each heat sink further includes a lateral recess and a lateral protrusion, one at each of the opposite sides of the base, the recess and the protrusion being positioned and configured for mating engagement of the protrusion of one heat sink with the recess of the adjacent heat sink when the heat sinks are in proper alignment.

3. The modular LED unit of claim 1 wherein, for each heat sink, each side-fin is a continuous wall extending along one of the opposite sides of the base.

4. The modular LED unit of claim 3 wherein, each heat sink further has at least one inner-fin projecting from the heat-dissipation base surface between the side-fins, at least one of the fins has a fin-end forming a mounting-hole for securing the modular LED unit to another object, the mounting-hole being a coupler-receiving channel.

5. The modular LED unit of claim 1 wherein the heat sinks are metal extrusions.

6. A modular LED unit comprising at least one LED module bearing an array of LEDs and each module being mounted on a separate corresponding one of individual interconnected heat sinks, each heat sink having:

a module-engaging surface and a heat-dissipation surface, each LED module being against the module-engaging surface of a separate corresponding heat-sink;

at least one fin projecting from the heat-dissipating surface; and

each pair of adjacent heat sinks has at least one connection device interconnecting and holding such pair of heat sinks in side-by-side relationship to one another.

7. The modular LED unit of claim 6 wherein:

the heat sink further has two opposite sides;

the at least one fin of each heat sink includes first and second side-fins, one along each of two opposite sides of the base and each terminating at a distal fin-edge; and

the connection device engages the first side-fin of one heat sink of such pair with the second side-fin of the other heat sink of such pair.

8. The modular LED unit of claim 7 wherein the connection device is mating integral portions of the adjacent pair of heat sinks.

9. A modular LED unit comprising:

a plurality of LED modules each bearing an array of LEDs and each being mounted on separate corresponding individual heat sinks, each heat sink including a heat-dissipation surface and a module-engaging surface with one of the LED modules against the module-engaging surface;

a spacer member adjacent to and interconnected with at least one of the heat sinks; and

at least one connection device holding the spacer member and the adjacent heat sink in side-by-side relationship.

10. The modular LED unit of claim 9 wherein:

each heat sink includes;

a base having the heat-dissipation surface and the module-engaging surface; and

a female and male side-fins, each along one of two opposite sides of the base and each terminating at a distal fin-edge;

the spacer member has a spacer base with first and second spacer-base sides and at least one spacer side-fin along one spacer-base side, the spacer side-fin is a male spacer side-fin extending along the first spacer-base side and terminating at a distal spacer fin-edge; and

the connection device includes a flange hook on the heat-sink female side-fin to engage the distal fin-edge of the adjacent male side-fin.

11. The modular LED unit of claim 9 wherein the spacer member is between and connected to a pair of the heat sinks, maintaining such heat sinks in spaced relationship to one another.

12. The modular LED unit of claim 11 wherein:

the spacer member further includes an end-part extending from the spacer base at one end thereof and a projection extending from the end-part along at least a portion of the second spacer-base side and spaced therefrom; and

the connection device includes a spring-clip holding the projection of the spacer member against the adjacent male side-fin.