Lighting assemblies and components for lighting assemblies

• US 8,439,531 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trott, Gary David, Pickard, Paul Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, JASON
• Application Number:
  US11/939,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20080112170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 362/147, 362/249.02, 362/294, 362/364, 362/373, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/364
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/02 of recess-mounted type, e.g. downlighters specially adapted for vehicle exteriors F21S41/00-F21S45/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/023 Power supplies in a casing F21V23/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/745 the fins or blades being planar and inclined with respect to the joining surface from which the fins or blades extend
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/75 with fins or blades having different shapes, thicknesses or spacing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/767 the planes containing the fins or blades having directions perpendicular to the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A lighting assembly, comprising a light engine assembly and a room-side element. The room-side element is in contact with the light engine assembly. The light engine assembly comprises at least one trim element and a light engine. The trim element defines a trim element internal space. The light engine comprises at least one solid state light emitter, and is positioned within the trim element internal space. Also, a lighting assembly, comprising a light engine assembly and means for dissipating heat from the light engine assembly.

Claims

1. A lighting assembly, comprising:

a light engine assembly; and

a room-side element in contact with at least a portion of said light engine assembly, said room-side element comprising a plurality of heat-dissipating fins,

said light engine assembly comprising;

at least one trim element, said trim element defining a trim element internal space;

a light engine housing within said trim element internal space, said light engine housing defining a light engine housing internal space; and

a light engine comprising at least one solid state light emitter, said light engine within said light engine housing internal space,

wherein said lighting assembly is configured to be mounted as a recessed light in an opening in a construction element having a room-side surface that defines a first plane, with an entirety of said room-side element on a first side of said first plane, and with said trim element internal space extending from a second side of said first plane at least to a portion of said opening, so that light emitted from said at least one solid state light emitter passes from said second side of said first plane to said first side of said first plane through said portion of said opening.

2. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said trim element comprises a flange portion, said flange portion extending farther from an axis of said trim element than all other portions of said trim element, at least a portion of said room-side element in contact with a first side of said flange portion,

wherein said lighting assembly can be mounted in said construction element with a second side of said flange portion in contact with said construction element, with an entirety of said room-side element on the first side of said room-side surface, and with said trim element internal space on the second side of room-side surface.

3. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein said flange portion extends in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to an axis of said trim element.

4. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said heat dissipating fins has at least one surface which is in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to an axis of said trim element.

5. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said lighting assembly further comprises at least one heat conducting element between said trim element and said room-side element.

6. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said room-side element comprises an annular region and at least two heat dissipating fins, said heat dissipating fins extending away from said annular region such that any planar section which includes an axis of said trim element extends through at least some of said heat dissipating fins, and within any said planar section, at least some of said heat dissipating fins extend radially from said annular region and define different angles relative to a plane which is perpendicular to said axis of said trim element.

7. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein any planar section which includes an axis of said trim element extends through at least a first heat dissipating fin which extends in a direction substantially parallel to said axis of said trim element, and at least two other heat dissipating fins which are substantially parallel with each other.

8. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said room-side element comprises a heat sink structure and at least one solid state light emitter.

9. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said room-side element comprises an annular element, said annular element having a plurality of concave portions in a first surface of said annular element which first surface is opposite to a second surface of said annular element, said second surface in contact with said trim element, at least one solid state light emitter in each of at least some of said concave portions.

10. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said room-side element comprises at least one solid state light emitter; and

any planar section which includes an axis of said trim element includes at least a first heat dissipating fin which extends in a direction substantially parallel to an axis of said trim element and at least two other heat dissipating fins which are substantially parallel with each other.

11. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein an external surface of said light engine housing is in contact with an internal surface of said trim element.

12. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said light engine assembly further comprises at least one thermal interface element, said thermal interface element between and in contact with each of an external surface of said light engine housing and an internal surface of said trim element.

13. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said light engine assembly further comprises a plurality of light engine housing fins,

each of said light engine housing fins:

in contact with an external surface of said light engine housing,

in contact with an internal surface of said trim element,

outside of said light engine housing internal space, and

inside said trim element internal space.

14. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said light engine housing fins are integral with said light engine housing.

15. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said lighting assembly further comprises at least a first light diffuser,

said light diffuser is within said trim element internal space,

said trim element and said first light diffuser together define a trim element-diffuser internal space, and

said light engine is within said trim element-diffuser internal space.

16. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said lighting assembly further comprises a lighting device housing, said lighting device housing defining a lighting device housing internal space, at least a portion of said light engine assembly within said lighting device housing internal space.

17. A lighting assembly, comprising:

a light engine assembly; and

means for dissipating heat from said light engine assembly,

said light engine assembly comprising;

at least one trim element, said trim element defining a trim element internal space;

a light engine housing within said trim element internal space, said light engine housing defining a light engine housing internal space; and

a light engine comprising at least one solid state light emitter, said light engine within said light engine housing internal space,

wherein said lighting assembly is configured to be mounted as a recessed light in an opening in a construction element having a room-side surface that defines a first plane, with an entirety of said means for dissipating heat on a first side of said first plane, and with said trim element internal space extending from a second side of said first plane at least to a portion of said opening, so that light emitted from said at least one solid state light emitter passes from said second side of said first plane to said first side of said first plane through said portion of said opening.

18. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein said trim element comprises a flange portion, said flange portion extending farther from an axis of said trim element than all other portions of said trim element,

said trim element in contact with a first side of said flange portion,

wherein said lighting assembly can be mounted in said construction element with a second side of said flange portion in contact with said construction element, with said trim element internal space on one side of said room-side surface.

19. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein said flange portion extends in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to an axis of said trim element.

20. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein said means for dissipating heat comprises at least one recess, at least one solid state light emitter in said at least one recess.

21. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein an external surface of said light engine housing is in contact with an internal surface of said trim element.

22. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein said light engine assembly further comprises at least one thermal interface element, said thermal interface element between and in contact with each of an external surface of said light engine housing and an internal surface of said trim element.

23. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein said light engine assembly further comprises a plurality of light engine housing fins,

each of said light engine housing fins:

in contact with an external surface of said light engine housing,

in contact with an internal surface of said trim element,

outside of said light engine housing internal space, and

inside said trim element internal space.

24. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 23, wherein said light engine housing fins are integral with said light engine housing.

25. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein:

said lighting assembly further comprises at least a first light diffuser,

said first light diffuser is within said trim element internal space,

said trim element and said first light diffuser together define a trim element-diffuser internal space, and

said light engine is within said trim element-diffuser internal space.

26. A lighting assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein said lighting assembly further comprises a lighting device housing, said lighting device housing defining a lighting device housing internal space, at least a portion of said light engine assembly within said lighting device housing internal space.