Lighting devices including thermally conductive housings and related structures

• US 8,602,579 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van de Ven, Antony Paul, Chan, Wai Kwan, Ho, Chin Wah
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US12/795,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 362/96, 362/640.646, 362/650, 362/294, 362/373
• US Class Current: 362/96
• 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 29/507 of means for protecting lighting devices from damage, e.g. housings
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A lighting device may include a light emitting device and a sidewall extending away from the light emitting device. In addition, a thermally conductive housing may be spaced apart from the sidewall, and a cavity may be defined between the sidewall and the thermally conductive housing. In addition, a lens may be spaced apart from the light emitting device with the sidewall extending away from the light emitting device to the lens to define a mixing chamber adjacent the light emitting device. Moreover, the thermally conductive housing may be outside the mixing chamber, and the sidewall may be reflective.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a light emitting device;

a reflective sidewall extending away from the light emitting device;

a thermally conductive housing spaced apart from the reflective sidewall, wherein a cavity is defined between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing;

a heat dissipating element that extends into the cavity between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing, wherein portions of the heat dissipating element are spaced apart from both the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing; and

a substrate adjacent the reflective sidewall, wherein the light emitting device is on a surface of the substrate adjacent the reflective sidewall, wherein the heat dissipating element extends into the cavity away from the substrate, and wherein a width of the heat dissipating element increases with increasing distance from the substrate.

2. A lighting device according to claim 1 wherein the thermally conductive housing includes openings therethrough providing fluid communication between the cavity inside the thermally conductive housing and space outside the thermally conductive housing.

3. A lighting device according to claim 2 further comprising:

a heat dissipating element that extends into the cavity between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing, wherein portions of the heat dissipating element are spaced apart from both the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing.

4. A lighting device according to claim 3 wherein the heat dissipating element is configured to allow fluid communication between portions of the cavity between the heat dissipating element and the reflective sidewall and portions of the cavity between the heat dissipating element and the thermally conductive housing.

5. A lighting device according to claim 3 wherein the thermally conductive housing and the heat dissipating element are both thermally coupled to the light emitting device.

6. A lighting device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a planar lens spaced apart from the light emitting device, wherein the reflective sidewall extends away from the light emitting device to the lens to define a mixing chamber adjacent the light emitting device.

7. A lighting device according to claim 6 wherein the thermally conductive housing is outside the mixing chamber defined by the reflective sidewall and the lens.

8. A lighting device according to claim 1 wherein a cross section of the outside surface of the thermally conductive housing is substantially symmetric with respect to a central axis of the lighting device, wherein a first width nearest the light emitting device is less than a second width more distant from the light emitting device.

9. A lighting device according to claim 8 wherein the outside surface of the thermally conductive housing defines a substantially frustoconical shape.

10. A lighting device according to claim 8 wherein the outside surface of the thermally conductive housing is free of fins.

11. A lighting device according to claim 10 wherein a greatest width of the outside surface of the thermally conductive housing is in the range of about 90 mm to about 110 mm.

12. A lighting device according to claim 11 further comprising:

an Edison screw fitting electrically coupled to the light emitting device, wherein the Edison screw fitting aligned with the central axis of the lighting device.

13. A lighting device according to claim 1 wherein the reflective sidewall comprises an inner surface adjacent the light emitting device and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface is between the outer surface and the light emitting device, and wherein the inner surface is reflective.

21. A lighting device according to claim 6 wherein the reflective sidewall is between portions of the lens and the heat dissipating element.

23. A lighting device according to claim 1 wherein the heat dissipating element comprises spaced apart leaves in the cavity.

25. A lighting device according to claim 1 wherein the thermally conductive housing includes a thermally conductive housing base, the device further comprising:

an electrical fitting electrically coupled to the light emitting device; and

a substrate adjacent the reflective sidewall, wherein the light emitting device is on a surface of the substrate adjacent the reflective sidewall, wherein portions of the thermally conductive housing base are between the substrate and the electrical fitting.

14. A lighting device comprising:

a fitting;

a substrate defining a plane;

a light emitting device (LED) on a surface of the substrate, wherein the light emitting device is electrically coupled to the fitting; and

a thermally conductive housing thermally coupled to the light emitting device, wherein the thermally conductive housing extends away from the fitting, away from the plane of the substrate, and away from the light emitting device, and wherein the thermally conductive housing defines an outer surface of the lighting device that is substantially free of fins; and

a reflective sidewall extending away from the light emitting device, away from the plane of the substrate, and away from the fitting, wherein portions of the thermally conductive housing are spaced apart from the reflective sidewall to define a cavity between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing;

wherein the thermally conductive housing includes at least one opening therethrough providing fluid communication between the cavity inside the thermally conductive housing and a space outside the thermally conductive housing, wherein the opening and the fitting are on opposite sides of the plane of the substrate, and wherein a distance of a portion of the reflective sidewall from the plane of the substrate in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane of the substrate is greater than a distance of the at least one opening from the plane of the substrate in the direction that is perpendicular to the plane of the substrate.

15. A lighting device according to claim 14 further comprising:

a base housing providing mechanical coupling and spacing between the fitting and the light emitting device; and

a driver circuit providing electrical coupling between the fitting and the light emitting device.

16. A lighting device according to claim 14 further comprising:

a lens spaced apart from the light emitting device, wherein the reflective sidewall extends away from the light emitting device to the lens to define a mixing chamber adjacent the light emitting device.

17. A lighting device according to claim 14 wherein a widest portion of the thermally conductive housing is in the range of about 90 mm to about 110 mm wide.

18. A lighting device according to claim 14 further comprising:

a heat dissipating element that extends into the cavity between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing, wherein the heat dissipating element is thermally coupled with the light emitting device, and wherein portions of the heat dissipating element are spaced apart from both the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing.

19. A lighting device according to claim 18 wherein the heat dissipating element is configured to allow fluid communication between portions of the cavity between the heat dissipating element and the reflective sidewall and portions of the cavity between the heat dissipating element and the thermally conductive housing.

20. A lighting device according to claim 14 wherein the fitting comprises an Edison screw fitting.

22. A lighting device according to claim 16 wherein the reflective sidewall is between portions of the lens and the heat dissipating element.

24. A lighting device according to claim 14 wherein the heat dissipating element comprises spaced apart leaves in the cavity.

31. A lighting device according to claim 18 wherein the heat dissipating element extends into the cavity away from the fitting, and wherein a width of the heat dissipating element increases with increasing distance from the fitting.

26. A lighting device comprising:

a light emitting device;

a reflective sidewall extending away from the light emitting device; and

a thermally conductive housing spaced apart from the reflective sidewall, wherein a cavity is defined between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing wherein the thermally conductive housing includes a thermally conductive housing base;

a heat dissipating element that extends into the cavity between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing, wherein portions of the heat dissipating element are spaced apart from both the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing;

an electrical fitting electrically coupled to the light emitting device; and

a substrate adjacent the reflective sidewall, wherein the light emitting device is on a surface of the substrate adjacent the reflective sidewall, wherein portions of the thermally conductive housing base are between the substrate and the electrical fitting;

wherein the heat dissipating element and the thermally conductive housing including the thermally conductive housing base are provided as a single metal piece.

27. A lighting device comprising:

a light emitting device;

a reflective sidewall extending away from the light emitting device;

a thermally conductive housing spaced apart from the reflective sidewall, wherein a cavity is defined between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing wherein the thermally conductive housing includes a thermally conductive housing base;

a heat dissipating element that extends into the cavity between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing, wherein portions of the heat dissipating element are spaced apart from both the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing;

an electrical fitting electrically coupled to the light emitting device; and

a substrate adjacent the reflective sidewall, wherein the light emitting device is on a surface of the substrate adjacent the reflective sidewall, wherein portions of the thermally conductive housing base are between the substrate and the electrical fitting;

wherein the thermally conductive housing and the thermally conductive housing base are provided as a first continuous metal piece, wherein the heat dissipating element includes a heat dissipating base that extends between the substrate and the thermally conductive housing base, and wherein the heat dissipating element and the heat dissipating base are provided as a second continuous metal piece.

28. A lighting device comprising:

a fitting;

a light emitting device (LED) electrically coupled to the fitting; and

a thermally conductive housing thermally coupled to the light emitting device, wherein the thermally conductive housing extends away from the fitting and away from the light emitting device, wherein the thermally conductive housing defines an outer surface of the lighting device that is substantially free of fins, and wherein the thermally conductive housing includes a thermally conductive housing base;

a reflective sidewall extending away from the light emitting device, wherein portions of the thermally conductive housing are spaced apart from the reflective sidewall to define a cavity between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing, and wherein the thermally conductive housing includes openings therethrough providing fluid communication between the cavity inside the thermally conductive housing and space outside the thermally conductive housing;

a heat dissipating element that extends into the cavity between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing, wherein the heat dissipating element is thermally coupled with the light emitting device, and wherein portions of the heat dissipating element are spaced apart from both the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing; and

a substrate adjacent the reflective sidewall, wherein the light emitting device is on a surface of the substrate adjacent the reflective sidewall, wherein portions of the thermally conductive housing base are between the substrate and the electrical fitting.

29. A lighting device according to claim 28 wherein the heat dissipating element and the thermally conductive housing including the thermally conductive housing base are provided as a single metal piece.

30. A lighting device according to claim 28 wherein the thermally conductive housing and the thermally conductive housing base are provided as a first continuous metal piece, wherein the heat dissipating element includes a heat dissipating base that extends between the substrate and the thermally conductive housing base, and wherein the heat dissipating element and the heat dissipating base are provided as a second continuous metal piece.

32. A lighting device comprising:

a substrate defining a plane;

a light emitting device on a surface of the substrate, wherein the light emitting device is on a light emitting device side of the plane of the substrate;

a reflective sidewall adjacent the light emitting device, wherein the reflective sidewall extends away from the light emitting device and away from the plane of the substrate on the light emitting device side of the plane;

a thermally conductive housing spaced apart from the reflective sidewall, wherein a cavity is defined between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing; and

a heat dissipating element that extends into the cavity between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing on the light emitting device side of the plane, wherein portions of the heat dissipating element in the cavity are spaced apart from both the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing.

33. A lighting device according to claim 32 wherein a width of the heat dissipating element increases with increasing distance from the substrate.

34. A lighting device according to claim 32 further comprising:

a planar lens spaced apart from the light emitting device, wherein the reflective sidewall extends away from the light emitting device to the lens to define a mixing chamber adjacent the light emitting device.

35. A lighting device according to claim 32 wherein the thermally conductive housing includes an opening therethrough, wherein the opening is on the light emitting device side of the plane, and wherein at least a portion of heat dissipating element is between at least one of the openings and the reflective sidewall on the light emitting device side of the plane.

36. A lighting device comprising:

a light emitting device;

a reflective sidewall extending away from the light emitting device; and

a thermally conductive housing spaced apart from the reflective sidewall, wherein a cavity is defined between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing; and

a planar lens spaced apart from the light emitting device, wherein the reflective sidewall extends away from the light emitting device to the lens to define a mixing chamber adjacent the light emitting device.

37. A light emitting device according to claim 36 further comprising:

a substrate defining a plane wherein the light emitting device is on a light emitting device side of the plane of the substrate; and

a heat dissipating element that extends into the cavity between the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing on the light emitting device side of the plane, wherein portions of the heat dissipating element in the cavity are spaced apart from both the reflective sidewall and the thermally conductive housing.

38. A lighting device according to claim 37 wherein a width of the heat dissipating element increases with increasing distance from the substrate.

39. A lighting device according to claim 38 wherein the thermally conductive housing includes at least one opening therethrough providing fluid communication between the cavity inside the thermally conductive housing and a space outside the thermally conductive housing, wherein the opening is on the light emitting device side of the plane, and wherein a distance of a portion of the reflective sidewall from the plane of the substrate in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane of the substrate is greater than a distance of the at least one opening from the plane of the substrate in the direction that is perpendicular to the plane of the substrate.