The present disclosure relates generally to outdoor lighting solutions, and more particularly to an elevated cavity for one or more light sources of an outdoor lighting fixture.
Outdoor lighting fixtures are typically exposed to different weather conditions such as rain. Electrical components of such lighting fixtures need to be protected from rain and snow that may damage them. For example, water may cause an electrical short circuit which can damage the components due to excessive current flow. Further, water may cause rusting of electrical connections and exposed wires, which may result in unreliable operation as well as shortened life span of the components of a lighting fixture and the lighting fixture itself.
Thus, an outdoor lighting structure that cost-effectively reduces risk of damage to the lighting fixture and its components is desirable.
In general, the present disclosure relates to outdoor lighting solutions, and more particularly to an elevated cavity for one or more light sources of an outdoor lighting fixture. In an example embodiment, a heat sink for an outdoor lighting fixture includes a top portion and a skirt portion. The skirt portion extends down from an outer perimeter of the top portion. The top portion includes an elevated portion and a transition portion surrounding the elevated portion. The elevated portion and the transition portion define a cavity. The top portion further includes a planar portion surrounding the transition portion. The elevated portion is elevated above the planar portion.
In another example embodiment, an outdoor lighting structure includes a housing and a heat sink attached to the housing. The heat sink includes a top portion and a skirt portion extending down from the top portion. The heat sink is disposed below the housing. The top portion includes an elevated portion and a transition portion surrounding the elevated portion. The elevated portion and the transition portion define a cavity. The top portion further includes a planar portion surrounding the transition portion. The elevated portion is elevated above the planar portion.
In another example embodiment, an outdoor lighting fixture includes a housing and a heat sink attached to the housing. The heat sink includes a top portion and a skirt portion extending down from the top portion. The heat sink is disposed below the housing. The top portion includes an elevated portion and a transition portion surrounding the elevated portion. The elevated portion and the transition portion define a cavity. The top portion further includes a planar portion surrounding the transition portion. The elevated portion is elevated above the planar portion. Further, the outdoor lighting fixture includes a light source attached to the elevated portion and positioned within the cavity. The outdoor lighting fixture also includes a driver positioned in the housing to provide power to the light source.
These and other aspects, objects, features, and embodiments will be apparent from the following description and the claims.
Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The drawings illustrate only example embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope. The elements and features shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the example embodiments. Additionally, certain dimensions or placements may be exaggerated to help visually convey such principles. In the drawings, reference numerals designate like or corresponding, but not necessarily identical, elements.
In the following paragraphs, example embodiments will be described in further detail with reference to the figures. In the description, well known components, methods, and/or processing techniques are omitted or briefly described. Furthermore, reference to various feature(s) of the embodiments is not to suggest that all embodiments must include the referenced feature(s).
Turning now to the figures, particular embodiments are described.
In some example embodiments, the lighting structure 100 also includes a sensor 122 and a latch 124 located at a compartment section 126 of the housing 102. For example, the sensor 122 may be positioned on the housing 102 substantially above the heat sink 104. To illustrate, the sensor 122 may be a light sensor that senses the amount of light near the lighting structure 100 and that generates a corresponding indicator or electrical signal. To illustrate, the light sources of the lighting structure 100 may be turned on or off based on the indicator or electrical signal from the sensor 122. In some example embodiments, the latch 124 may be used to hold upper and lower portions of the housing 102 and may be unlatched to gain access to a compartment of the housing 102. In some alternative embodiments, the latch 124 may be omitted or may be replaced by another structure(s) that performs the same or similar function.
In some example embodiments, the heat sink 104 includes a top portion 114 and a skirt portion 120. The top portion 114 of the heat sink 104 includes two elevated portions (described below in more detail), transition portions 110, 112, and a planar portion 116. The transition portions 110, 112 extend from the planar portion 116 of the top portion 114 toward the respective one of the elevated portions. Each one of the elevated portions has an outer perimeter that is surrounded by a respective one of the transition portions 110, 112. The elevated portion is elevated above the planar portion 116. To illustrate, each elevated portion and the respective transition portion 110, 112 define a respective elevated cavity as described below in more detail. In some example embodiments, the first lens 106 is attached to one of the elevated portions such that an outer edge of the lens 106 is surrounded by the transition portion 110 within the respective elevated cavity. Similarly, the first lens 108 may be attached to the other one of the elevated portions such that an outer edge of the lens 108 is surrounded by the transition portion 112 within the respective elevated cavity.
In some example embodiments, the planar portion 116 of the top portion 114 may include a section that is between the two elevated portions, such that the transition portion 110 and transition portion 112 are not abutted against each other.
In some example embodiments, the skirt portion 120 extends down from the top portion 114 of the heat sink 104. For example, the skirt portion 120 may extend down around an outer perimeter of the entire top portion 114 of the heat sink 104 as illustrated in
In some example embodiments, the heat sink 104 may be made from a material, such as a metal (e.g., aluminum), that effectively dissipates heat from the light sources and other circuitry/components of the lighting structure 100. The housing 102 may also be made from a material, such as aluminum. The lenses 106, 108 may be made from a transparent plastic or other suitable material known to those of ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of the current disclosure.
Because the elevated portions are elevated above the planar portion 116 of the top portion 114 and are covered by the housing 102, risk of water, such as rain water, reaching light sources and other electrical components that are attached to the elevated portions on an underside of the heat sink 104 is reduced.
Although the lighting structure 100 is shown in
In some example embodiments, the first elevated portion 202 includes one or more wire holes 210 that may be used to extend electrical wires from a power source (e.g., a driver such as an LED driver) to the light source 206. For example, one or more wires may be extended through the wire holes 210 from a driver positioned in the housing 102. Similarly, the second elevated portion 204 may include one or more wire holes 212 that may be used to extend wires from a power source to the light source 208.
In some example embodiments, the first elevated portion 202 includes one or more fastener holes 214. The fastener holes 214 may be used to attach the lens 106 to the heat sink 104 such that the lens 106 covers the light source 206 on the underside of the heat sink 104. For example, one or more fasteners 220 may be extended through the fastener holes 214 to attach the lens 106 to the first elevated portion 202 of the top portion 114 of the heat sink 104. Alternatively, one or more snaps that are attached to the lens 106 may be inserted through the fastener holes 214 to attach the lens 106 to the first elevated portion 202. Similarly, the second elevated portion 204 includes one or more fastener holes 216. The fastener holes 216 may be used to attach the lens 108 to the heat sink 104 such that the lens 108 covers the light source 208 on the underside of the heat sink 104. For example, one or more fasteners 222 may be extended through the fastener holes 216 to attach the lens 108 to the second elevated portion 204 of the top portion 114 of the heat sink 104. Alternatively, one or more snaps that are attached to the lens 108 may be inserted through the fastener holes 216 to attach the lens 108 to the second elevated portion 204.
As illustrated in
To illustrate, the first elevated portion 202 and the first transition portion 110 define a first cavity on the underside of the heat sink 104. As illustrated in
Although two cavities defined by the elevated portions 202, 204 and the transition portions 110, 112 are illustrated in
To illustrate, the housing 102 may be attached to the heat sink 104 using the fasteners 302 such that the housing 102 fully covers the elevated portions 202, 204 and the transition portions 110, 112 from view. In some example embodiments, the housing 102 may include a ridge 312 that extends around at least a portion of the housing 102 such that the transition portions 110, 112 are enclosed by the housing 102 when the heat sink 104 is attached to the housing 102, for example, using the fasteners 302. In general, the housing 102 is shaped to be positioned on the heat sink 104 such that surfaces of the elevated portions 202, 204 and surfaces of the transition portions 110, 112 on the top side of the heat sink 104 are covered by the housing 102. For example, the attachment of the housing 102 to the heat sink 104 using the fasteners 302 such that the housing 102 covers the elevated portions 202, 204 and the transition portions 110, 112 may reduce the amount of water that may reach a portion of the top portion 114 that is covered by the housing 102.
In some example embodiments, the light sources 206, 208 (shown in
As described above, the first elevated portion 202 includes one or more wire holes 210 that may be used to extend electrical wires from a power source to the light source 206. Similarly, the second elevated portion 204 may include one or more wire holes 212 that may be used to extend electrical wires from the same or different power source to the light source 208.
In some example embodiments, the lenses 106, 108 shown in
As illustrated in
In some example embodiments, the elevated portions 202, 204 may be formed in a single piece of a particular material by pressing on a portion of the material to form the elevated portions 202, 204. The skirt 120 may also be formed in the same piece of material using simple methods such as bending and pressing. In some example embodiments, the heat sink 104 may be made using techniques such as die casting.
In some example embodiments, the lighting structure 100 may include a driver 402 (e.g., an LED driver). For example, the driver 402 may be positioned in a compartment within the housing 102. To illustrate, the driver 402 may be designed to provide power to the light sources 206, 208. For example, electrical wires (not shown) may be extended from the driver 402 to the light source 206 through the one or more wire holes 210. Similarly, electrical wires (not shown) may be extended from the driver 402 to the light source 208 through the one or more wire holes 212.
As described above, the lens 106 may be attached to the first elevated portion 202 using the one or more fasteners 220. Similarly, the lens 108 may be attached to the second elevated portion 204 using the one or more fasteners 222. As more clearly illustrated in
As illustrated in
In some alternative embodiments, the lenses 106, 108 may have shapes other than shown in
In some example embodiments, the lighting fixture 500 also includes a sensor 122. For example, the sensor 122 may be positioned on the housing 102 substantially above the heat sink 104 as illustrated in
As described above, the lighting structure 100 includes the housing 102 and the heat sink 104. The compartment section 126 of the housing 102 may include a power source (e.g., the driver 402 shown in
As illustrated in
Although particular embodiments have been described herein in detail, the descriptions are by way of example. The features of the example embodiments described herein are representative and, in alternative embodiments, certain features, elements, and/or steps may be added or omitted. Additionally, modifications to aspects of the example embodiments described herein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims, the scope of which are to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass modifications and equivalent structures.
The present application claims priority to under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) and incorporates herein by reference U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/870,669, titled “Elevated Light Source Cavity,” and having a filing date of Aug. 27, 2013.
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