Luminaire utilizing light emitting diodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841154-B2
Application number	US-201615060306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2014
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

According to one aspect, a luminaire comprises a luminaire housing, at least one LED disposed within the luminaire housing, and an LED driver circuit disposed within a driver housing. The driver housing comprises an inner portion and an outer portion, wherein at least a part of the inner portion is disposed between the LED driver circuit and the outer portion and wherein the LED driver circuit is in thermal communication with the outer portion.

First claim

We claim:

1. A luminaire, comprising:
at least one LED that develops light along a substantially horizontal light axis and disposed on a substantially vertical heat conductive member;
an optical waveguide that redirects the light developed by the LED into a light path substantially transverse to the light axis;
an LED driver circuit for supplying electric power to the LED; and
a heat exchanger comprising:
a thermally conductive base plate comprising a lower portion disposed in heat transfer relationship with the LED and an upper portion proximate the lower portion and disposed in heat transfer relationship with the driver circuit, wherein the LED and the driver circuit are disposed to a first side of the base plate, and
a plurality of substantially vertical heat transfer fins disposed on a second side of the base plate opposite the first side.

2. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the LED driver circuit is disposed within a driver housing, the driver housing comprising an inner portion and an outer portion, and wherein the LED driver circuit transfers heat by conduction to the inner portion.

3. The luminaire of claim 2 , wherein the inner portion contacts the outer portion.

4. The luminaire of claim 3 , wherein the outer portion contacts the heat exchanger.

5. The luminaire of claim 3 , wherein an upper portion of the outer portion of the driver housing is disposed above substantially the lateral dimensions of the LED driver circuit.

6. The luminaire of claim 3 , wherein the outer portion comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion contacts the heat exchanger.

7. The luminaire of claim 1 , further comprising:
the heat exchanger comprising first and second heat exchanger portions disposed horizontally apart;
the at least one LED being included in a first set of LEDs;
the first set of LEDs being disposed horizontally apart from a second set of LEDs;
the first heat exchanger portion being in thermal communication with the first set of LEDs; and
the second heat exchanger portion being in thermal communication with the second set of LEDs.

8. The luminaire of claim 1 , further comprising the heat exchanger comprising a plurality of fins in thermal communication with the base plate, the heat exchanger further comprising one or more heat pipes extending through one or more apertures of at least one fin of the plurality of fins.

9. The luminaire of claim 1 , further comprising the heat exchanger comprising a plurality of fins in thermal communication with the base plate, wherein the plurality of fins extends from the base plate and comprises a first fin and a second fin, the first fin extending a first distance from the base plate and the second fin extending a second distance from the base plate, the first distance being larger than the second distance.

10. A luminaire, comprising:
a luminaire housing;
at least one LED disposed within the luminaire housing;
an LED driver circuit disposed within a driver housing that comprises an inner portion and an outer portion, at least a part of the inner portion being disposed between the LED driver circuit and the outer portion, wherein the LED driver circuit is in thermal communication with the outer portion; and
a heat exchanger comprising a base plate having a lower portion and an upper portion, wherein the lower portion is in thermal communication with the at least one LED, wherein the upper portion is in thermal communication with the LED driver housing, wherein the LED and the driver housing are disposed on a first side of the base plate.

11. The luminaire of claim 10 , wherein the inner portion of the driver housing contacts the outer portion and the LED driver circuit transfers heat to the inner portion by conduction.

12. The luminaire of claim 10 , wherein the luminaire housing comprises a strengthening member proximal a mounting aperture, the strengthening member comprising a section of increased thickness.

13. The luminaire of claim 10 , wherein a surface of the luminaire housing comprises a bore, the luminaire further comprising a fastener that is associated with the bore and secures the luminaire to a stanchion.

14. The luminaire of claim 13 , wherein the fastener is associated with a nut that is at least one of press-fitted and overmolded.

15. The luminaire of claim 13 , wherein the fastener extends through an aperture of a mounting bracket, the mounting bracket being capable of plastic deformation.

16. A luminaire, comprising:
a luminaire housing that comprises a top housing portion and a bottom housing portion; and
a head assembly coupled to the top housing portion, at least partially enclosed by the luminaire housing, and having a bottom surface adjacent to the bottom housing portion, the head assembly comprising an optical assembly comprising an optical waveguide, the head assembly further comprising at least one LED adjacent the optical waveguide, an LED driver circuit disposed within a driver housing, and a heat exchanger comprising a base plate with upper and lower portions wherein the lower portion is in thermal communication with the at least one LED, wherein the driver housing comprises an inner portion in thermal communication with the LED driver circuit and an outer portion in thermal communication with the inner portion of the housing and the upper portion of the base plate, and wherein the head assembly further comprises one or more mounting tabs each comprising a horizontal surface configured to rest on a shoulder of the top housing portion.

17. The luminaire of claim 16 , wherein a thickness of a front wall of the luminaire housing is greater near a bottom surface of the luminaire than the thickness farther away from the bottom surface of the luminaire.

18. The luminaire of claim 16 , wherein the optical assembly further comprises a lower frame member laterally surrounding the optical waveguide and sealing an upper surface of the optical waveguide.

19. The luminaire of claim 18 , wherein the lower frame member transfers stress to an upper frame member via support members of the lower frame member that are aligned with support members of the upper frame member.

Assignees

• Cree Inc

Inventors

• Sorenson Jeremy
• Bendtsen Andrew Dan
• Wilcox Kurt S
• Goelz David P

Classifications

• G02B6/0035

  provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it · CPC title

• F21W2131/103

  of streets or roads · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• G02B6/262

  Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements · CPC title

• G02B6/24

  Coupling light guides · CPC title