Light fixture with airflow passage separating driver and emitter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10539314-B2
Application number	US-201615054910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2016
Priority date	Sep 12, 2011
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

An illustrative light fixture provides an emitter housing and a driver housing in a single fixture with an airflow channel defined between the emitter and driver housings. The airflow channel minimizes thermal conduction between the emitter and driver housings, and maximizes thermal convective cooling for at least one of the emitter housing and driver housing. The emitter housing includes vertical fins extending into the airflow chamber. The left and right sides of the emitter and driver housings define top and bottom edges that are respectively coplanar with the top and bottom edges of the vertical fins.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light fixture, comprising:
an emitter section defining a top surface, a bottom surface, and a rear surface;
a driver section connected to the emitter section, the driver section defining a top surface, a bottom surface, a rear surface, and a front surface; and
a plurality of fins connected to the emitter section, the plurality of fins defining airflow channels between the rear surface of the emitter section and the front surface of the driver section, each of the plurality of fins having a top edge and a bottom edge;
wherein the bottom edge of at least one of the plurality of fins is coplanar with the bottom surface of the emitter section and the bottom surface of the driver section, and the bottom surface of the driver section between the front surface of the driver section and the rear surface of the driver section is planar, or;
the top surface of the emitter section, the top surface of the driver section, and the top edge of the at least one of the plurality of fins define a planar top surface extending from the rear surface of the driver section to the front surface of the emitter section, or
the bottom surface of the emitter section, the bottom surface of the driver section, and the bottom edge of at least one of the plurality of fins define a planar bottom surface extending from the rear surface of the driver section to the front surface of the emitter section.

2. The light fixture of claim 1 , wherein:
the emitter section defines a left side and a right side,
the plurality of fins is disposed between the emitter section left side and the emitter section right side, each of the plurality of fins defining a length extending from the emitter section toward the driver section, the length of each of the plurality of fins being equal.

3. The light fixture of claim 1 , wherein:
the emitter section defines a left side and a right side,
the driver section defines a left side that is coplanar with the left side of the emitter section,
the driver section defines a right side that is coplanar with the right side of the emitter section, and
the plurality of fins is disposed between the left side of the emitter section and the right side of the emitter section.

4. The light fixture of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fins defines at least one pin extending along the fin in a direction from the emitter section to the driver section.

5. The light fixture of claim 1 , wherein:
the driver section defines a left side and a right side,
each of the plurality of fins has a rear edge, and
the rear edges of the plurality of fins are scalloped inwardly along their vertical length defining an open space extending horizontally between the left side of the driver section and the right side of the driver section.

6. The light fixture of claim 1 , wherein:
the top surface of the driver section defines a top lip, and the bottom surface of the driver section defines a bottom lip,
the front surface of the driver section is recessed from at least one of the top lip and the bottom lip, and
each of the plurality of fins defines at least one notch, wherein
an interior corner of the top lip is received within the at least one notch, or
an interior corner of the bottom lip is received within the at least one notch.

7. The light fixture of claim 1 , comprising:
a fastener tube integral with at least one of the plurality of fins, extending between the rear surface of the emitter section and the front surface of the driver section, and configured to receive a fastener to secure the emitter section and the driver section together; and
a wire passageway integral with at least one of the plurality of fins, extending between the rear surface of the emitter section and the front surface of the driver section, and configured to allow passage of wires through the wire passageway;
wherein
the top surface of the driver section defines a top lip, and the bottom surface of the driver section defines a bottom lip,
the front surface of the driver section is recessed from at least one of the top lip and the bottom lip, and
each of the plurality of fins defines at least one notch, wherein
an interior corner of the top lip is received within the at least one notch, or
an interior corner of the bottom lip is received within the at least one notch.

8. The light fixture of claim 1 , comprising:
a thermal insulator disposed between the emitter section and the driver section, the thermal insulator insulating the driver section from the emitter section.

9. The light fixture of claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the plurality of fins defines a fastener tube extending between the rear surface of the emitter section and the front surface of the driver section, and configured to receive a fastener to secure the emitter section and the driver section together, and
wherein at least one of the plurality of fins defines a wire passageway extending between the rear surface of the emitter section and the front surface of the driver section, and configured to allow passage of wires through the wire passageway.

10. A light fixture, comprising:
an emitter section defining a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, and a rear surface, each of the top and bottom surfaces being planar and extending from the front surface to the rear surface;
a driver section connected to the emitter section and defining a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, and a rear surface, each of the top and bottom surfaces being planar and extending from the front surface to the rear surface; and
a plurality of fins connected to the emitter section and defining airflow channels between the rear surface of the emitter section and the front surface of the driver section, each of the plurality of fins having a top edge and a bottom edge;
wherein
the top edges of the plurality of fins adjacent the driver section are flush with the top surface of the driver section, or
the bottom edges of the plurality of fins adjacent the driver section are flush with the bottom surface of driver section, or
the top edges of the plurality of fins adjacent the driver section are flush with the top surface of the driver section and the bottom edges of the plurality of fins adjacent the driver section are flush with the bottom surface of driver housing.

11. The emitter of claim 10 , wherein:
the top edges of the plurality of fins adjacent the emitter housing are flush with the top surface of the emitter section; or
the bottom edges of the plurality of fins adjacent the emitter section are flush with the bottom surface of emitter, or
the top edges of the plurality of fins adjacent the emitter section are flush with the top surface of the emitter section, and the bottom edges of the plurality of fins adjacent the emitter section are flush with the bottom surface of emitter section.

12. The light fixture of claim 10 , wherein:
the emitter section defines a left side and a right side, and
the plurality of fins is disposed between the emitter section left side and the emitter section right side, each of the plurality of fins defining a length extending from the emitter section toward the driver section, the length of each of the plurality of fins being equal.

13. The light fixture of claim 10 , wherein:
the emitter section defines a left side and a right side,
the driver section defines a left side that is coplanar with the left side of the emitter section,
the driver section defines a right side that is coplanar with the right side of the emitter section, and
the plurality of fins is disposed between the left side of the emitter section and the righ

Assignees

• Rab Lighting Inc

Inventors

• Guercio Vincenzo
• Hu Jiang
• Gao Wengang

Classifications

• F21V29/83

  the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes · CPC title

• F21V29/507

  of means for protecting lighting devices from damage, e.g. housings · CPC title

• F21V29/713

  in direct thermal and mechanical contact of each other to form a single system · CPC title

• F21V23/008

  the casing being outside the housing of the lighting device · CPC title

• F21V29/76 Primary

  with essentially identical parallel planar fins or blades, e.g. with comb-like cross-section · CPC title