Patent Application
20130229790
The present invention relates to lighting, and more specifically, to thermal management solutions for lighting systems including solid state light sources.
An increasing number of light situations have been developed to use solid state light sources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), which can be operated at very low voltages and have an extremely long life. Under general circumstances, solid state light sources operate at low temperatures when compared, for example, with incandescent light sources of similar lumen output. However, solid state light sources frequently require thermal management due to the large numbers of solid state light sources that may be found in, among other things, luminaires.
Certain applications require that solid state light sources be operated in an area where the temperatures generated by the solid state light sources may provide unwelcome consequences. One such application is where solid state light sources are used to provide lighting in display cases. Particularly with jewelry display cases, solid state light sources are typically mounted in assemblies that utilize high thermal conductivity metals, for example as in the reflectors that control the direction of the light emitted by the solid state light sources to focus on the product (e.g., jewelry) displayed within the case. In such applications, the heat produced by the solid state light sources may be conducted to portions of the case (e.g., the outer edges where customers typically come into contact with the case) that may interfere with customer satisfaction.
Embodiments of the invention provide a thermal management solution for a display case including a corner accessible to human touch. The corner is defined by a horizontal surface and a vertical face. The case has an interior volume to be illuminated, where the light is directed away from the corner. A lighting system support is positioned in the corner, and has an associated lighting system. The lighting system includes a reflector and a heat-generating light source mounted with the reflector. At least one mullion is positioned between the lighting system support and the lighting system. The at least one mullion maintains a desired relative position between the lighting system support and the lighting system. The lighting system has at least a first system side, at least partially co-extensive with a first support side of the lighting system support. A contactor is located between the lighting system support and the assembly, and provides minimal thermal conduction between the lighting system support and the lighting system, such that heat transfer from the heat-generating light source to the lighting system support is reduced, thereby reducing the amount of heat transferred to the corner of the display case.
In an embodiment, there is provided a thermal management system for a display case having a corner. The thermal management system includes: a lighting system support positioned in the corner of the display case; a lighting system comprising a reflector and a heat-generating light source, wherein the heat-generating light source is mounted with the reflector, and wherein the lighting system is associated with the lighting system support; a mullion positioned between the lighting system support and the lighting system, the mullion to maintain a desired relative position between the lighting system support and the lighting system; and a contactor between the lighting system support and the lighting system, wherein the contactor provides minimal thermal conduction between the lighting system support and the lighting system whereby heat transfer from the heat-generating light source to the lighting system support is reduced, thereby reducing an amount of heat transferred to the corner of the display case.
In a related embodiment, the lighting system may include a first system side, the lighting system support may include a first support side, and the first system side may be at least partially co-extensive with the first support side. In a further related embodiment, the contactor may include a plurality of spaced apart projections located between at least the first system side and the first support side.
In a further related embodiment, the lighting system may include a base and the lighting system support may include a second support side. In a further related embodiment, the plurality of spaced apart projections may be located between the base and the second support side.
In another further related embodiment, a subset of the plurality of spaced apart projections may be conical.
In another related embodiment, the lighting system may include a base, the lighting system support may include a first support side and a second support side, and the contactor may include a non-metallic, heat-insulating member positioned between the base and the second support side. In a further related embodiment, the non-metallic, heat-insulating member may include a depending arm positioned between the first support side and the lighting system. In a further related embodiment, the lighting system may include a first system side, and the depending arm may be positioned between the first support side and the first system side.
In yet another related embodiment, the heat-generating light source may include at least one solid state light source. In a further related embodiment, the lighting system may include a luminaire including the at least one solid state light source.
In another embodiment, there is provided a thermal management system for a display case having a corner. The thermal management system includes: a lighting system support positioned in the corner of the display case; a lighting system comprising a reflector and a heat-generating light source, wherein the heat-generating light source is mounted with the reflector, and wherein the lighting system is associated with the lighting system support; and at least one mullion positioned between the lighting system support and the lighting system, wherein the at least one mullion is substantially thermally insulating, the mullion to maintain a desired relative position between the lighting system support and the lighting system and to reduce heat transfer from the heat-generating light source to the lighting system support, thereby reducing an amount of heat transferred to the corner of the display case.
In a related embodiment, the at least one mullion may include a plurality of spaced-apart mullions, wherein a subset of the plurality of spaced-apart mullions may be thermally insulating. In a further related embodiment, the lighting system may include a first system side, the lighting system support may include a first support side, and the first system side may be at least partially co-extensive with the first support side. In a further related embodiment, the plurality of spaced apart mullions may be located between at least the first system side and the first support side.
In another embodiment, there is provided a thermal management system for a display case having a corner. The thermal management system includes: a lighting system support positioned in the corner of the display case, comprising a first support side; a lighting system comprising a reflector and a heat-generating light source, wherein the heat-generating light source comprises at least one temperature-dependent solid state light source, wherein the at least one temperature-dependent solid state light source is mounted with the reflector, wherein the lighting system is associated with the lighting system support, and wherein the lighting system includes a first system side that is at least partially co-extensive with the first support side; a mullion positioned between the lighting system support and the lighting system, the mullion to maintain a desired relative position between the lighting system support and the lighting system; and a contactor between the first system side of the lighting system and the first support side of the lighting system support, wherein the contactor provides minimal thermal conduction between the lighting system support and the lighting system whereby heat transfer from the at least one temperature-dependent solid state light source to the lighting system support is reduced, thereby reducing an amount of heat transferred to the corner of the display case.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages disclosed herein will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments disclosed herein, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles disclosed herein.
A thermal management system 100 is shown in detail in
The lighting system support 20 provides support for a lighting system 22. The lighting system 22, in some embodiments, is a luminaire 22, and in some embodiments is a retrofit lamp 22 and/or a retrofit-style lamp 22. In all embodiments, the lighting system 22 includes a heat-generating light source 26, which may be but is not limited to at least one solid state light source, such as but not limited to a light emitting diode (LED), organic light emitting diode (OLED), polymer light emitting diode (PLED), and the like, and includes combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the LED, OLED, PLED, and/or combinations thereof are temperature-dependent. The lighting system 22 also includes a reflector 24. The heat-generating light source 26 is operatively mounted with the reflector 24. The lighting system 22 is associated with the lighting system support 20.
At least one mullion 25 is positioned between the lighting system support 20 and the lighting system 22, to maintain a desired relative position between the lighting system support 20 and the lighting system 22. The mullion 25 is, in some embodiments, constructed of a suitable plastic or metal. In some embodiments, the mullion 25 includes a sleeve 25′ that surrounds a stud 25″, as depicted more clearly in
A contactor 32 is located between the lighting system support 20 and the lighting system 22. The contactor 32 provides minimal thermal conduction between the lighting system support 20 and the lighting system 22, whereby heat transfer from the heat-generating light source 26 to the lighting system support 20 is reduced, thereby reducing an amount of heat transferred to the corner 12 of the display case 10. In some embodiments, the lighting system 22 includes a first system side 28, and the lighting system support 20 includes a first support side 30. The first system side 28 is at least partially co-extensive with the first support side 30. The contactor 32, in some embodiments, is located between the first system side 28 of the lighting system 22 and the first support side 30 of the lighting system support 20.
In some embodiments, such as shown in
In
In the thermal management system 100 shown in
In
Unless otherwise stated, use of the word “substantially” may be construed to include a precise relationship, condition, arrangement, orientation, and/or other characteristic, and deviations thereof as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, to the extent that such deviations do not materially affect the disclosed methods and systems.
Throughout the entirety of the present disclosure, use of the articles “a” and/or “an” and/or “the” to modify a noun may be understood to be used for convenience and to include one, or more than one, of the modified noun, unless otherwise specifically stated. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. The term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections are not to be limited by theses terms as they are used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another element, component, region, layer, or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the scope and teachings of the invention.
Elements, components, modules, and/or parts thereof that are described and/or otherwise portrayed through the figures to communicate with, be associated with, and/or be based on, something else, may be understood to so communicate, be associated with, and or be based on in a direct and/or indirect manner, unless otherwise stipulated herein. Further, when an element or layer is referred to herein as being “on,” “connected to”, or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be, and in some embodiments is, directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to”, or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” below,” upper,” “lower,” “above” and the like may be, and in some embodiments are, used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the drawings. These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings. For example, if the device(s) and/or system(s) in the drawings is/are turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” may, and in some embodiments does, encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device(s) and/or system(s) may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
Although the methods and systems have been described relative to a specific embodiment thereof, they are not so limited. Obviously many modifications and variations may become apparent in light of the above teachings. Many additional changes in the details, materials, and arrangement of parts, herein described and illustrated, may be made by those skilled in the art.
