LED fixture with heat pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9423117-B2
Application number	US-201113341741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2011
Priority date	Dec 30, 2011
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A light assembly fixture comprising a heat pipe to dissipate heat from the light emitting device, such as but not limited to a light emitting diode (LED). The assembly further comprises a housing including a front surface, a light emitting device on a first heat spreader remote from the front surface, a first end of a heat pipe in thermal contact with the first heat spreader and the heat pipe extending towards the front surface such that a second end of the heat pipe is in thermal contact with a second heat spreader that is disposed on the housing, wherein the first heat spreader, heat pipe and second heat spreader are configured to provide a thermal path to dissipate heat from the light emitting device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A lighting assembly, comprising:
a housing;
a first heat spreader;
a light emitting device remote from said housing and in thermal communication with said first heat spreader;
a heat pipe comprising a first end and a second end, said first end in thermal communication with said first heat spreader, said heat pipe adapted to provide structural support for said first heat spreader, said first heat spreader comprising an opening along a central vertical axis to receive said first end; and
a second heat spreader in thermal communication with said housing, said second end of said heat pipe extending through said housing and in thermal communication with said second heat spreader, said first heat spreader, said heat pipe and said second heat spreader comprising parallel central vertical axes, wherein said housing comprises a thermally conductive material, wherein said second heat spreader is on an external surface of said housing, and said external surface is thermally conductive and in thermal communication with said light emitting device.

2. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said light emitting device is mounted to a surface of said first spreader facing said housing.

3. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first spreader is on said first end of said heat pipe.

4. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second spreader is on said housing.

5. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , said housing further comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface.

6. The lighting assembly of claim 5 , said housing further comprising sidewalls adjacent said front surface.

7. The lighting assembly of claim 6 , wherein said sidewalls are configured to be angled, curved, multi-faceted or a combination thereof.

8. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , said second heat spreader comprising an opening to receive said second end of said heat pipe.

9. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , said housing comprising a diffuse white reflector.

10. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said first heat spreader is exposed to the ambient of said housing.

11. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , said first heat spreader comprising a mount surface to mount said light emitting device.

12. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said light emitting device emits substantially all light towards said housing.

13. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said light emitting device comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) on said first heat spreader.

14. The lighting assembly of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of LEDs emit white light during operation.

15. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the length of said heat pipe determines the separation between said light emitting device and said housing.

16. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , said housing comprising metal, steel, aluminum or a combination thereof.

17. A lighting assembly, comprising:
a housing;
a first heat spreader;
a light emitting device remote from said housing and thermal communication with said first heat spreader;
a heat pipe comprising a first end and a second end, said first end in thermal communication with said first heat spreader, said heat pipe adapted to provide structural support for said first heat spreader; and
a second heat spreader in thermal communication with said housing, said second end of said heat pipe in thermal communication with said second heat spreader, wherein said housing comprises a thermally conductive material, wherein said second heat spreader is on an external surface of said housing, said external surface is thermally conductive and in thermal communication with said light emitting device, said first heat spreader further comprising a reflector adjacent said light emitting device.

18. A lighting assembly, comprising:
a housing comprising a front surface;
a first heat spreader;
a light emitting device mounted on said first heat spreader;
a plurality of heat pipes in thermal communication with said first heat spreader, wherein at least two of said heat pipes have a thermal path to said first heat spreader independent from the other heat pipes; and
a plurality of second heat spreaders on said housing, wherein each of said plurality of second heat spreaders is in thermal communication with a respective one of said plurality of heat pipes, wherein said plurality of heat pipes extend through said housing, wherein said housing comprises a thermally conductive material, wherein said plurality of second heat spreaders are on an external surface of said housing, said external surface is thermally conductive and in thermal communication with said light emitting device.

19. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , said housing further comprising sidewalls adjacent said front surface.

20. The lighting assembly of claim 19 , wherein said plurality of second heat spreaders are on an external surface of said sidewalls of said housing.

21. The lighting assembly of claim 19 , wherein said sidewalls are configured to be angled, curved, multi-faceted or a combination thereof.

22. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , wherein said plurality of heat pipes extend from said first heat spreader towards said sidewalls.

23. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , wherein said plurality of heat pipes are adapted to provide structural support for said first heat spreader.

24. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , wherein said front surface is unobstructed.

25. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , wherein said first and second heat spreaders comprise an opening to receive said respective heat pipe.

26. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , said housing comprising a diffuse white reflector.

27. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , wherein said front surface of said housing is planar.

28. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , wherein said front surface of said housing is curved.

29. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of said first heat spreader is exposed to the ambient outside of said housing.

30. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , wherein said light emitting device emits substantially all light towards said housing.

31. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , wherein said light emitting device comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) on said first heat spreader.

32. The lighting assembly of claim 31 , wherein said plurality of LEDs emit white light during operation.

33. The lighting assembly of claim 18 , said housing formed of a thermally conductive material to dissipate heat from said second heat spreader.

34. The lighting assembly of claim 33 , said housing comprising metal, steel, aluminum or a combination thereof.

35. A lighting assembly, comprising:
a housing comprising a front surface;
a light emitting device remote from said housing and facing said housing, wherein said light emitting device is in thermal communication with said housing, wherein said housing comprises a thermally conductive material, wherein said light emitting device emits substantially all light towards said front surface; and
a heat pipe coupled to said housing and said light emitting device to form a thermal path between the light emitting device and said housing, wherein sai

Assignees

• Athalye Praneet
• Cree Inc

Inventors

• Athalye Praneet

Classifications

• F21V29/717

  using split or remote units thermally interconnected, e.g. by thermally conductive bars or heat pipes · CPC title

• F21V29/70 Primary

  characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks · CPC title

• F21V7/0008

  providing for indirect lighting · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21V29/51

  using condensation or evaporation of a fluid, e.g. heat pipes · CPC title