Vehicle light fixture having internal heatsink for LED lamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9429293-B2
Application number	US-201414189478-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2014
Priority date	Feb 25, 2014
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle headlight includes a headlight housing including an external lens and an outer wall that define a headlight interior and a lighting element including a light-emitting diode lamp and an internal heatsink coupled to at least a portion of the lamp. The lamp is in thermal communication with the internal heatsink. The lighting element is disposed within the headlight interior and coupled to an element receptacle defined by the outer wall. The internal heatsink of the lighting element is in thermal communication with the external lens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle headlight comprising:
a headlight housing including an external lens and an outer wall that define a headlight interior; and
a lighting element including a light-emitting diode lamp and an internal heatsink coupled to at least a portion of the lamp, wherein the lamp is in thermal communication with the internal heatsink, and wherein the lighting element is disposed within the headlight interior and coupled to an element receptacle defined by the outer wall, and wherein the internal heatsink of the lighting element is in thermal communication with the external lens, the internal heatsink defined by a plurality of parallel elongated members that extend continuously from a rear wall of the headlight housing and below the lighting element to an area between the lighting element and the external lens.

2. The vehicle headlight of claim 1 , wherein the internal heatsink includes a bracket, and wherein the bracket defines a lamp receptacle configured to receive the lamp.

3. The vehicle headlight of claim 1 , wherein the lamp includes a back portion, a lamp lens and at least one side surface that extends between the back portion and the lamp lens, and wherein the plurality of elongated members of the internal heatsink extend along at least a portion of the at least one side surface of the lamp.

4. The vehicle headlight of claim 2 , wherein the lamp is selectively removable from the lamp receptacle.

5. The vehicle headlight of claim 3 , wherein the elongated members engage the lamp proximate the back portion and extend from the back portion to beyond the lamp lens of the lamp.

6. The vehicle headlight of claim 3 , wherein the at least one side surface includes a plurality of side surfaces, and wherein the elongated members of the heat sink extend in a parallel configuration that surrounds each at least one side surface of the lamp.

7. The vehicle headlight of claim 6 , wherein the elongated members engage the lamp proximate the back portion and extend from the back portion to beyond the lamp lens of the lamp to an edge member that engages each distal end of the plurality of elongated members.

8. A vehicle headlight comprising:
a plurality of continuous parallel plates defining an internal heatsink for receiving a lamp, the lamp in thermal communication with the plates; and
a housing including an external lens and an outer wall defining an interior volume, the internal heatsink and lamp disposed within the interior volume, and the parallel plates extending from a rear wall of the housing to a position proximate the external lens and in thermal communication therewith.

9. The vehicle headlight of claim 8 , wherein the internal heatsink includes a bracket, and wherein the bracket defines a lamp receptacle disposed within the plates, and wherein the lamp is a light-emitting diode lamp.

10. The vehicle headlight of claim 9 , wherein the lamp is selectively removable from the lamp receptacle.

11. The vehicle headlight of claim 9 , wherein the lamp includes a back portion, a lamp lens and at least one side surface that extends between the back portion and the lamp lens, and wherein a portion of the plates include elongated members that extend in a parallel configuration around the entire lamp lens.

12. The vehicle headlight of claim 11 , wherein the elongated members engage the lamp proximate the back portion and extend from the back portion to beyond the lamp lens of the lamp.

13. The vehicle headlight of claim 11 , wherein the at least one side surface includes a plurality of side surfaces, and wherein the elongated members extend along each side surface of the lamp.

14. The vehicle headlight of claim 13 , wherein the elongated members engage the lamp proximate the back portion and extend from the back portion to beyond the lamp lens of the lamp to an edge member that engages each respective distal end of the elongated members.

15. An external vehicle lamp comprising:
a heatsink defined by parallel plates, wherein a portion of the parallel plates define a lamp receptacle;
a lamp within the lamp receptacle and in thermal communication with the parallel plates; and
a housing including a lens and an outer wall that define an interior volume, wherein the parallel plates and lamp are disposed within the interior volume and wherein the parallel plates are in thermal communication with the lens.

16. The external vehicle lamp of claim 15 , wherein the heatsink includes a bracket, and wherein the bracket partially defines the lamp receptacle, and wherein the lamp is a light-emitting diode lamp that is selectively removable from the lamp receptacle.

17. The external vehicle lamp of claim 15 , wherein the lamp includes a back portion, a lamp lens and at least one side surface that extends between the back portion and the lamp lens, and wherein the parallel plates engage the lamp proximate the back portion and extend from proximate the back portion to beyond the lamp lens of the lamp, and wherein the lamp is a light-emitting diode lamp.

18. The external vehicle lamp of claim 16 , wherein the housing is a headlight housing.

19. The external vehicle lamp of claim 16 , wherein the housing is a signal fixture.

20. The external vehicle lamp of claim 17 , wherein the at least one side surface includes a plurality of side surfaces, and wherein the parallel plates extend along each side surface of the lamp and beyond the lamp lens.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Williams Bruce Preston
• Kumar Arun

Classifications

• F21S41/29

  Attachment thereof (for achieving variable light distribution F21S41/63) · CPC title

• F21S41/19 Primary

  Attachment of light sources or lamp holders (achieving variable light distribution by movable light sources F21S41/657) · CPC title

• F21S45/49

  Attachment of the cooling means · CPC title

• F21S43/27

  Attachment thereof · CPC title

• F21S43/14

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title