It is an object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device which has the ability to illuminate a broad radial and near-axial pattern. It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device which has the ability to illuminate to the rear of the device toward the base.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device in which the LED die temperature is maintained at lower level.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device which guards the user from touching hot metallic parts of the device. It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device which guards the user electric shock.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device in which the device is guarded from damage due to electrostatic discharge.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device which has the ability to generate illumination comparable to or in excess of conventional incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs of 40 Watts of power or above.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device which has the ability to fit into existing fixtures designed for normal incandescent light bulbs.
It is another object of the invention to provide a structure for highly efficient thermal dissipation as part of an LED illumination system.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device made of low cost materials. It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device with low cost of manufacturing.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device that may withstand vibration and mechanical shock.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device which has diffuse illumination or defocused illumination.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device which is pleasing shape and visible appearance.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device to have high longevity.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device conforming to existing safety standards for incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device conforming to existing size industry standards for incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device conforming to existing user standards for incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device that may fit and function in fixtures normally used for incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs.
It is another object of the invention to provide an LED illumination device which may pass the testing standards of safety standard organizations for LED, incandescent, and fluorescent light bulbs.
The described invention LED illumination device consists of power source contacts, LED driving circuitry, singular or a plurality of LED light sources, shaped singular or a plurality of multiple mounting surfaces, heat dissipation structures, mechanical and electrical bonding structures, structures that are transmissive or unobstructive to light, thermally conductive and thermally insulative structures and materials, and electrically conductive and insulative structures. The power source contact provides operative interconnectivity with electrical power from a power source or plurality of power sources, LED driving circuitry provides power supply suitable for the LED light sources, with alternating and or direct current converted from the power source connection and driving circuitry; the LED light sources provide illumination comparable to, or exceeding the performance of, conventional incandescent, gas discharge, or fluorescent light bulbs; the shapes, placement, structure, arrangement, and angular displacement of the LED die mounting surfaces provide a variety of specific illumination patterns matching the die luminosity characteristics and directionality of the desired light illumination; heat dissipation structures transfer heat generated by the LED die light source(s), and provide efficient means for heat dissipation to the ambient environment; electrically insulative structures provides electrical shock protection to the user and the installer.
A preferred embodiment of the invention, provides a faceted flat structure and or multi-faceted flat structures upon which to mount high power LED dies or LED modules. This provides a very advantageous mounting for such LED dies and modular light sources are as they are normally flat-bottomed dies or modules, designed to be mounted on a flat surface, with the maximum surface area of the die, thus contacting the faceted flat structure, providing better thermal conductivity with the faceted structures, working to efficiently conduct thermal energy to the invention's heat sink structures with a flat surface, cooling the temperature of the LED die or modular LED light source(s). Flat surfaces are utilized for mounting LED light source in the described invention.
In another embodiment of the invention, a plurality of singular die or modular LED light sources each having narrow illumination dispersion angles of field luminosity are arranged in an array in different angles of direction upon a multifaceted structure such that a specific pattern and or a wider dispersion angle of field luminosity is provided by the use of overlapping luminosity fields.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, electric insulation material of good heat conductivity are incorporated in the structure providing paths for heat dissipation, while avoiding electric shock and electrostatic discharge problems, and electromagnetic interference conduction.
In this embodiment, both user and the described invention device are protected from vulnerability to harmful contact between the user and the circuitry are avoided. This provides non-metallic bonding and interface materials that are thermally conductive at the die mounting, and other non-metallic materials that are part of the outer surfaces and interface surfaces that are non-thermally conductive, while presenting a cooler surface that may be in contact with the user or installer. In this embodiment, a laminate or multiple layer structure is utilized.
In an embodiment of the described invention LED illumination device, there are singular and/or a plurality of flat surfaces arranged in different directions, being the mounting surfaces for LED light sources. The said mounting surfaces are utilized to provide advantageous angles of direction for the LED light sources to broadly illuminate, to provide overlapping fields of illumination for each of the LED light sources, thereby making no gaps in the illumination field, thus providing illumination of broad radial and near-axial pattern, and the ability to illuminate to the rear of the device toward the base. The said mounting surfaces are utilized to also provide good thermal conductivity to the heat dissipation structure, to provide improved ability to maintain LED temperature at lower level.
In an embodiment of the described invention LED illumination device, at least 3 LED light sources, including LED units, and/or LED dies, and/or LED modules, are being mounted on multiple mounting surfaces facing different directions. The utilization of multiple said LED light sources provides the ability to generate high intensity of illumination, comparable to the illumination of conventional light bulbs of, including but not limited to 40 Watts of incandescent light or more. The utilization of multiple said LED light sources also provides broad angle dispersed and homogeneous illumination by mounting on said mounting surfaces of the described invention. In shown in
A structure with thick metal and/or other efficient heat conducting material, being the heat dissipation structure, is utilized in an embodiment of the described invention LED illumination device. In addition, the said heat dissipation structure also has large number of surfaces due to the specific shape of the structures and the surface area for convective interface thermal exchange with the ambient environment. The thick structure of the said heat dissipation structure is to provide good and ample thermal mass and improved conductivity from the mounting surfaces to the heat dissipation surfaces of the heatsinking and convective interface for thermal exchange with the ambient environment. The large amount of surface of the heat dissipation surface is to provide an efficient escape for the heat, in combination to the thick structure, providing improved ability to maintain LED temperature at lower level.
In a preferred embodiment of the described invention, the construction of the heat dissipation heat sinking thermal interface and thermal exchange structure is structured in such a way that, a substantial part of the illumination from the LED light sources toward the rear of the said device is not being blocked or obscured by the heatsinking structure, to provide improved illumination toward the area around the rear of the said device and toward the area surrounding the base; this is advantageous for various applications that may be found in the user mounting and deployment environment.
A special insulative structure made of electrically insulative material is utilized in an embodiment of the described invention LED illumination device, to provide insulation between the user and/or any electrical conductive part of the said device accessible to the user from the circuitry, in which part or all of the said insulation structure is made of efficient heat conducting material, and becomes part or all of the heat dissipation structure of the said device. The said insulation structure is utilized to provide protection to the user from electric shock. The said insulation structure is utilized to also provide protection to the invention LED illumination device from damage due to electromagnetic discharge. The efficient heat conducting material utilized in the insulation structure is specifically and specially chosen and utilized to include and provide electrical insulation while maintaining heat exchange and dissipation efficiency.
Optionally, or in addition to the heat dissipation structure of the described invention LED illumination device, a protection layer is utilized on surfaces which are accessible to the user of the said heat dissipation structure, to provide further protection to the user from electric shock. The said protection layer is utilized to also provide protection to the user from the touch of possibly hot metallic part of the said heat dissipation structure. The said protection layer is utilized to also provide improved protection to the invention LED illumination device from damage due to electromagnetic discharge.
In an embodiment of the invention, the structures are shaped to enable the various parts of the invention to function, especially providing heat and electrical insulation, and heat exchange conductive and/or convective cooling of the structure, while preventing harmful contact to a human finger or a test probe shaped similar to a human finger, as is utilized in testing by standards organizations and industry safety testing laboratories. One example of this probe simulating the human finger is the safety test probe used by Underwriter's Laboratories. In an embodiment of the invention, the structures of the invention are shaped so as to block entry by the said test probe, and preventing contact by it to electrically conductive material or metal. Laminated materials or layers of material, or coatings are used in an embodiment of the invention at specific points on the structure to prevent contact by the said test probe. Laminated materials or layers of material, or coatings are used in an embodiment of the invention at specific points on the structure to prevent contact by the said test probe.
As a part of or in addition to the other embodiments described invention LED illumination device, one or more outer membranes which allow light to pass through is/are utilized to cover any or all of the LED light sources and part of the heat dissipation structure of the invention LED illumination device. The said outer membrane is/are utilized to provide protection to the user from electric shock by touching any part of circuitry. The said outer membrane is/are utilized to also provide different patterns of illumination, including but not limited to diffused illumination similar to conventional light bulb. The said outer membrane also provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the buyer or user of the invention. The said outer membrane also provides a shape conforming to existing standards for incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, and a shape compatible with existing lighting fixtures for mounting the invention.
Alternatively, or in addition to the described invention LED illumination device, the heat dissipation structure has a hollow space containing part of the circuitry, to provide the ability to design the shape of the said device in more compact shapes while having high efficiency in heat dissipation, including but not limited to dimensions similar to normal incandescent light bulbs, providing the ability to fit into existing fixtures designed for normal incandescent light bulbs. The cavity of the heat sink structure provides protection for the circuitry and electromagnetic shielding. It optionally provides heat sinking for the electrical circuit electronic parts.
This specification includes preferred embodiment of the invention and some of the variations in specific implementation through embodiments of the invention, but the invention is not limited to these described specific implementations. These serve to illustrate some of the possible embodiments of the invention. Numbering of various elements in the figures refer to similar or same elements in the figures having corresponding element numbers.
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In preferred embodiment of the invention described herein, as shown in
In another embodiment of the invention, referring to
In a preferred embodiment of the invention described herein, referring to
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In a preferred embodiment of the invention described herein, the mounting surfaces for the LED units are arranged to face in different directions as shown in