Lighting device comprising a split lighting engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10281128-B2
Application number	US-201615575372-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2016
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lighting device (100, 200, 300) comprising a split lighting engine with at least two thermally separated sub-engines (104, 106, 202, 204, 206, 302). Each sub-engine comprises at least one solid state light source (114, 212, 306) and a component (118, 210, 304) adapted to regulate electric current or power to the at least one solid state light source (114, 212, 306), so that the sub-engines (104, 106, 202, 204, 206, 302) are individually drivable based on a thermal environment of each sub-engine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lighting device comprising:
a split lighting engine with at least two thermally separated sub-engines, said lighting device further comprising an envelope and common driver circuitry connected to each sub-engine, the common driver circuitry adapted to provide an electric current or power to each sub-engine, wherein the sub-engines are arranged within the envelope along an optical axis of the lighting device, wherein each sub-engine comprises:
at least one solid state light source connected to the common driver circuitry; and
a component connected to the common driver circuitry, the component adapted to regulate the electric current or power to the at least one solid state light source based on a thermal environment of each sub-engine,
wherein each sub-engine adapts to and operates at a maximum temperature and light output based on the thermal environment.

2. A lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein each sub-engine comprises a substrate arranged parallel to the optical axis of the lighting device, wherein the at least one solid state light source is mounted on the substrate.

3. A lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein each sub-engine is spaced apart from other sub-engines by a predetermined distance.

4. A lighting device according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined distance is at least 5 mm.

5. A lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the component is a passive component adapted to passively regulate electric current or power to the at least one solid state light source.

6. A lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the component is an active component adapted to actively regulate electric current or power to the at least one solid state light source.

7. A lighting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a shell made by additive manufacturing at least partially enclosing the sub-engines.

8. A lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting device is a light bulb or a luminaire.

9. A method for operating a lighting device, which lighting device comprises a split lighting engine with at least two thermally separated sub-engines, said lighting device further comprising an envelope and common driver circuitry connected to each sub-engine, the common driver circuitry adapted to provide an electric current or power to each sub-engine, wherein the sub-engines are arranged within the envelope along an optical axis of the lighting device, wherein each sub-engine comprises at least one solid state light source, which method comprises:
regulating the electric current or power to the at least one solid state light source via a component connected to the common driver circuitry based on a thermal environment of each sub-engine and
wherein each sub-engine adapts to and operates at a maximum temperature and light output based on the thermal environment.

10. A method for determining the orientation of a lighting device, the lighting device comprising:
a split lighting engine with at least two thermally separated sub-engines, wherein each sub-engine comprises:
at least one solid state light source; and
a temperature sensor arranged on each sub-engine to measure the temperature of the sub-engine;
means for regulating electric current or power to the at least one solid state light source, so that the sub-engines are individually drivable based on their thermal environment; and
an envelope, wherein the sub-engines are placed within the envelope along an optical axis of the lighting device;
the method comprises the steps of:
applying a substantially equal amount of power to each sub-engine;
measuring the temperature of each sub-engine to provide temperature data for each sub-engine; and
determining the orientation of the lighting device based on the temperature data from each sub-engine and their respective placement along the optical axis.

Assignees

• Signify Holding Bv

Inventors

• Eggink Hendrik Jan
• De Jong Boudewijn Ruben
• De Samber Marc Andre

Classifications

• F21S2/00

  Systems of lighting devices, not provided for in main groups F21S4/00 - F21S10/00 or F21S19/00, e.g. of modular construction · CPC title

• H05B45/46

  having LEDs disposed in parallel lines · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21V29/503

  of light sources (cooling arrangements structurally associated with gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps H01J61/52; cooling arrangements structurally associated with electric incandescent lamps H01K1/58; cooling arrangements structurally associated with light-emitting diodes H10H20/858) · CPC title

• F21V23/02

  the elements being transformers, impedances {or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier} · CPC title