U.S. patent application number 13/291825 was filed with the patent office on 2012-05-17 for apparatus providing beamforming and environmental protection for led light sources.
This patent application is currently assigned to BRIDGELUX, INC.. Invention is credited to Todd FARMER, Keith SCOTT.
Application Number | 20120120664 13/291825 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46047614 |
Filed Date | 2012-05-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120120664 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FARMER; Todd ; et
al. |
May 17, 2012 |
APPARATUS PROVIDING BEAMFORMING AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FOR
LED LIGHT SOURCES
Abstract
Apparatus providing beamforming and environmental protection for
LED light sources. A lens apparatus is provided to protect an LED
mounted on a substrate. The lens apparatus includes an alignment
feature configured to align the LED to a selected position and a
focusing region configured to form a selected beam pattern from
light emitted from the LED when located at the selected position.
The lens apparatus also includes a compression surface configured
to compress the substrate to a heat sink to facilitate heat
dissipation from the LED and a fastening feature configured to
fasten the lens apparatus to the heat sink to provide an
environmentally protective seal, so that when the lens apparatus is
fastened to the heat sink the alignment feature aligns the LED to
the selected position, the compression surface compresses the
substrate to the heat sink, and the protective seal protects the
LED from environmental conditions.
Inventors: |
FARMER; Todd; (Livermore,
CA) ; SCOTT; Keith; (Livermore, CA) |
Assignee: |
BRIDGELUX, INC.
Livermore
CA
|
Family ID: |
46047614 |
Appl. No.: |
13/291825 |
Filed: |
November 8, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61412752 |
Nov 11, 2010 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/294 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21W 2111/02 20130101;
F21V 17/005 20130101; F21V 31/005 20130101; F21V 29/70 20150115;
F21Y 2115/10 20160801 |
Class at
Publication: |
362/294 |
International
Class: |
F21V 29/00 20060101
F21V029/00 |
Claims
1. A lens apparatus to protect a light emitting diode (LED) mounted
on a substrate, the lens apparatus comprising: an alignment feature
configured to align the LED to a selected position; a focusing
region configured to form a selected beam pattern from light
emitted from the LED when located at the selected position; a
compression surface configured to compress the substrate to a heat
sink to facilitate heat dissipation from the LED; and a fastening
feature configured to fasten the lens apparatus to the heat sink to
provide an environmentally protective seal, so that when the lens
apparatus is fastened to the heat sink the alignment feature aligns
the LED to the selected position, the compression surface
compresses the substrate to the heat sink, and the protective seal
protects the LED from environmental conditions.
2. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected beam pattern
is selected from a set of beam patterns used for roadway
illumination.
3. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected beam pattern
replicates a light emission pattern of light emitted from the
LED.
4. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected beam pattern
comprises any user defined beam pattern.
5. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alignment feature
comprises at least one of a flange, a plurality of flange portions,
and one or more alignment pins that are configured to capture the
substrate to align the LED in the selected position.
6. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compression surface
comprises a thermal isolation layer coupled to the lens
apparatus.
7. The lens apparatus of claim 6, wherein the compression surface
comprises a rigid layer coupled between the thermal isolation layer
and the substrate.
8. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fastening feature
comprises at least one mounting hole to receive at least one of a
screw, pin, and clip to fasten the lens apparatus to the heat
sink.
9. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fastening feature
comprises at least one of a latch and a snap closure.
10. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fastening feature
comprises a protection surface configured to compress at least one
of a gasket and an O-ring between the lens apparatus and the heat
sink.
11. The lens apparatus of claim 1, further comprising thermal
transfer material between the substrate and the heat sink.
12. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens apparatus
comprises a conduit for routing at least one of power, ground, and
signal connections to the LED.
13. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conduit comprises an
environmentally protective connector to protect the LED from
environmental conditions.
14. The lens apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens apparatus
comprises at least one material selected from a set of materials
comprising acrylic, plastic, glass, crystal and polymer
materials.
15. A lens apparatus to protect a light emitting diode (LED)
mounted on a substrate, the lens apparatus comprising: means for
aligning the LED to a selected position; means for forming a
selected beam pattern from light emitted from the LED when located
at the selected position; means for compressing the substrate to a
heat sink to facilitate heat dissipation from the LED; and means
for fastening the lens apparatus to the heat sink to provide an
environmentally protective seal, so that when the lens apparatus is
fastened to the heat sink the means for aligning aligns the LED to
the selected position, the means for compressing compresses the
substrate to the heat sink, and the protective seal protects the
LED from environmental conditions.
16. The lens apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for aligning
comprises means for capturing the substrate to align the LED in the
selected position.
17. The lens apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for
capturing comprises at least one of a flange, a plurality of flange
portions, and one or more alignment pins that are configured to
capture the substrate to align the LED in the selected
position.
18. The lens apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for
protecting comprises means for compressing at least one of a gasket
and an O-ring between the lens apparatus and a heat sink.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 61/412,752, filed Nov. 11, 2010, the contents
of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their
entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present application relates generally to light emitting
diodes, and more particularly, to apparatus providing beamforming
and environmental protection for light emitting diode (LED) light
sources.
[0003] A light emitting diode comprises a semiconductor material
impregnated, or doped, with impurities. These impurities add
"electrons" and "holes" to the semiconductor, which can move in the
material relatively freely. Depending on the kind of impurity, a
doped region of the semiconductor can have predominantly electrons
or holes, and is referred to as an n-type or p-type semiconductor
region, respectively.
[0004] In LED applications, an LED semiconductor chip includes an
n-type semiconductor region and a p-type semiconductor region. A
reverse electric field is created at the junction between the two
regions, which causes the electrons and holes to move away from the
junction to form an active region. When a forward voltage
sufficient to overcome the reverse electric field is applied across
the p-n junction, electrons and holes are forced into the active
region and combine. When electrons combine with holes, they fall to
lower energy levels and release energy in the form of light. The
ability of LED semiconductors to emit light has allowed these
semiconductors to be used in a variety of lighting devices. For
example, LED semiconductors may be used in general lighting devices
for interior applications or in street lighting for exterior
applications.
[0005] When using LED semiconductors in lighting devices for
exterior applications, it is generally necessary to provide
environmental protection to prevent damage from exposure to
moisture or other environmental conditions. For example, exterior
LED lighting is typically designed to meet industry standard
Ingress Protection (IP) ratings that specify various levels of
environmental protection. For example, an IP rating normally has
two (or three) numbers that specify a level of protection from
solid objects, liquids, and/or mechanical impacts. Typically, LED
lighting devices for exterior use are designed to satisfy
IP-65/66/67 ratings.
[0006] Both interior and exterior LED lighting devices may utilize
beamforming lenses to produce light having a particular beam
pattern. For example, roadway lights are typically designed to meet
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) or
International Commission on Illumination (CIE) standards.
[0007] These standards specify illumination patterns for pole
mounted roadway lights. To meet these requirements, an exterior LED
lighting device may utilize one or more optical lenses and/or
reflectors to distribute the light emitted from the LED
semiconductor to produce light having a desired illumination
pattern.
[0008] The application of LED semiconductors in lighting devices
may also require the use of additional components to provide
alignment or heat dissipation. For example, the precise alignment
of the LED semiconductor may be needed to facilitate beamforming.
Furthermore, high powered LED semiconductors used in exterior
lighting applications often generate heat which needs to be
dissipated. As a result, additional heat dissipating components may
also be used in these devices.
[0009] Conventional LED devices for exterior use typically have
separate components, parts, and/or assemblies which are combined to
provide the beamforming, environmental protection, alignment, and
heat dissipation functions described above. However, such devices
typically comprise a large number of parts and/or mounting
components. Unfortunately, this may result in LED devices that may
be expensive, complicated to assemble/disassemble, and may be
difficult to maintain and/or repair.
[0010] Accordingly, what is needed is a simple and efficient way to
meet the beamforming and environmental protection requirements for
exterior LED light sources and which overcomes the problems of
excessive components, expense, and complicated assembly associated
with conventional LED devices.
SUMMARY
[0011] In various implementations, an apparatus providing
beamforming and environmental protection for LED light sources is
provided. In one implementation, the apparatus comprises a
beamforming lens that includes an alignment feature to align an
LED, a compression surface to compress the LED to a heat sink, and
an environmental protection feature to provide environmental
protection. All these features are incorporated into an easy to
mount apparatus requiring few mounting components. Thus, the
apparatus provides a simple and efficient way to meet the
beamforming and environmental protection requirements for an LED
light source without the expense and/or excessive mounting
components utilized in conventional light sources.
[0012] In an implementation, a lens apparatus is provided to
protect an LED mounted on a substrate. The lens apparatus comprises
an alignment feature configured to align the LED to a selected
position and a focusing region configured to form a selected beam
pattern from light emitted from the LED when located at the
selected position. The lens apparatus also comprises a compression
surface configured to compress the substrate to a heat sink to
facilitate heat dissipation from the LED and a fastening feature
configured to fasten the lens apparatus to the heat sink to provide
an environmentally protective seal, so that when the lens apparatus
is fastened to the heat sink the alignment feature aligns the LED
to the selected position, the compression surface compresses the
substrate to the heat sink, and the protective seal protects the
LED from environmental conditions.
[0013] In an implementation, a lens apparatus is provided to
protect an LED mounted on a substrate. The lens apparatus comprises
means for aligning the LED to a selected position and means for
forming a selected beam pattern from light emitted from the LED
when located at the selected position. The lens apparatus also
comprises means for compressing the substrate to a heat sink to
facilitate heat dissipation from the LED and means for fastening
the lens apparatus to the heat sink to provide an environmentally
protective seal, so that when the lens apparatus is fastened to the
heat sink the means for aligning aligns the LED to the selected
position, the means for compressing compresses the substrate to the
heat sink, and the protective seal protects the LED from
environmental conditions.
[0014] In an implementation, an environmentally protective cover is
provided to protect an LED from environmental conditions. The cover
comprises an alignment feature configured to align the LED to a
selected position, an optics region configured to form a selected
beam pattern from light emitted from the LED when located at the
selected position, and an environmentally protective seal that
seals the cover to a heat sink, so that wherein when the cover is
sealed to the heat sink the alignment feature aligns the LED to the
selected position and the protective seal protects the LED from
environmental conditions.
[0015] It is understood that other aspects of the present invention
will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the
following detailed description. As will be realized, the present
invention includes other and different aspects and its several
details are capable of modification in various other respects, all
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention. Accordingly, the Drawings and the Description are to be
regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The foregoing aspects described herein will become more
readily apparent by reference to the following Description when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
[0017] FIG. 1 shows top and cross-sectional views of an exemplary
apparatus for providing beamforming and environmental protection
for LED light sources;
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the apparatus illustrated in
FIG. 1; and
[0019] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary apparatus for providing
beamforming and environmental protection for LED light sources.
DESCRIPTION
[0020] The present invention is described more fully hereinafter
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which various
aspects of the present invention are shown. This invention may,
however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the various aspects presented throughout
this disclosure. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this
disclosure will be complete enough to provide a thorough
understanding of the present invention to those skilled in the art.
The various aspects of the present invention illustrated in the
drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions of
the various features may be expanded or reduced for clarity. In
addition, some of the drawings may be simplified for clarity. Thus,
the drawings may not depict all of the components of a given
apparatus (e.g., device) or method.
[0021] Various aspects of the present invention will be described
herein with reference to drawings that are schematic illustrations
of idealized configurations of the present invention. As such,
variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for
example, manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be
expected. Thus, the various aspects of the present invention
presented throughout this disclosure should not be construed as
limited to the particular shapes of elements (e.g., regions,
layers, sections, substrates, etc.) illustrated and described
herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for
example, from manufacturing. By way of example, an element
illustrated or described as a rectangle may have rounded or curved
features and/or a gradient concentration at its edges rather than a
discrete change from one element to another. Thus, the elements
illustrated in the drawings are schematic in nature and their
shapes may not be intended to illustrate the precise shape of an
element and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
invention.
[0022] It will be understood that when an element such as a region,
layer, section, substrate, or the like, is referred to as being
"on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or
intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an
element is referred to as being "directly on" another element,
there are no intervening elements present. It will be further
understood that when an element is referred to as being "formed" on
another element, it can be grown, deposited, etched, attached,
connected, coupled, or otherwise prepared or fabricated on the
other element or an intervening element.
[0023] Furthermore, relative terms, such as "lower" or "bottom" and
"upper" or "top," may be used herein to describe one element's
relationship to another element as illustrated in the drawings. It
will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass
different orientations of an apparatus in addition to the
orientation depicted in the Drawings. By way of example, if an
apparatus in the Drawings is turned over, elements described as
being on the "lower" side of other elements would then be oriented
on the "upper" sides of the other elements. The term "lower", can
therefore, encompass both an orientation of "lower" and "upper,"
depending of the particular orientation of the apparatus.
Similarly, if an apparatus in the drawing is turned over, elements
described as "below" or "beneath" other elements would then be
oriented "above" the other elements. The terms "below" or "beneath"
can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of above and
below.
[0024] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and
scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this
invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such
as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be
interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their
meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure.
[0025] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are
intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context
clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the
terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this
specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude
the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The
term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of
the associated listed items
[0026] It will be understood that although the terms "first" and
"second" may be used herein to describe various regions, layers
and/or sections, these regions, layers and/or sections should not
be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish
one region, layer or section from another region, layer or section.
Thus, a first region, layer or section discussed below could be
termed a second region, layer or section, and similarly, a second
region, layer or section may be termed a first region, layer or
section without departing from the teachings of the present
invention.
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a top view 102 and a cross-sectional view 104
of an exemplary apparatus 100 for providing beamforming and
environmental protection for LED light sources. For example, the
apparatus 100 is suitable for use in an external lighting device,
such as a roadway light. In one implementation, the apparatus 100
is dimensioned to be 5 inches wide by 5 inches long by 2 inches
tall.
[0028] Referring to the top view 102, a substrate 106 is shown that
comprises a LED semiconductor 108 mounted thereon. The substrate
106 comprises ceramic or other suitable material. The LED 108
comprises an LED semiconductor device suitable for external
lighting applications. It should be noted that although only one
LED semiconductor is shown in FIG. 1, the substrate 106 may be
configured to support any number of LED semiconductors.
[0029] The cross-sectional view 104 shows the apparatus 100 from a
perspective taken at cross-section indicator 110. As illustrated in
the view 104, the apparatus 100 comprises a lens 112. The lens 112
may also be referred to as an environmentally protective cover,
cap, or LED protector. The lens 112 may be comprised of one or more
materials, namely; acrylic, glass, plastic, crystal, or a polymer.
In one implementation, the lens 112 comprises a clear acrylic which
can be seen in the cross-sectional view 104 but is not easily
detected in the top view 102. The lens 112 comprises a focusing
portion or optics region, shown generally at 114, and a mounting
portion, shown generally at 116.
[0030] The focusing portion 114 of the lens 112 operates to form a
particular beam pattern from the light emitted from the LED 108.
For example, the focusing portion 114 comprises any suitable optics
or optical material that functions to redistribute incoming light
from the LED 108 to produce light having a desired pattern. For
example, the beam pattern may be any IESNA or CIE type beam
pattern. In another implementation, the beam pattern is any user
defined beam pattern such as a round, non-round, or elliptical
pattern or a pattern having any other geometric or user defined
shape, for instance, stars, triangles or half circles typically
used in entertainment lighting. However, in other implementations,
the lens 112 is transparent or translucent and the resulting beam
pattern replicates the light emission pattern of light emitted from
the LED 108. Another feature of the lens 112 is conduit 118 which
provides a path that can be used to route electrical connections to
the LED 108 to provide power, ground, and/or other electrical
signals. Also shown in the view 104 are heat sink 120, thermal
interface material 122 and gasket 124.
[0031] Referring again to the top view 102, several regions are
illustrated. For example, a compression region 126 is shown. The
compression region 126 represents a region where the lens 112 comes
into contact with the substrate 106 and operates to compress the
substrate 106 onto the heat sink 120.
[0032] Another region shown in the top view 102 is an alignment
region 128. The alignment region 128 represents a region comprising
a flange 130 (shown more clearly in the view 104) which operates to
capture the substrate 106 into a particular location or position.
The flange 130 is described in more detail in another section of
this document.
[0033] Another region shown in the top view 102 is an environmental
protection region 132. The environmental protection region 132
represents a region where the gasket 124, O-ring or other material
is captured between the lens 112 and the heat sink 120. This
operates to protect the LED 108 from environmental conditions, such
as exposure to moisture or liquids. In this example, a fastening
feature comprising several mounting holes 134 are provided to allow
the lens 112 to be fastened to the heat sink 120.
[0034] Referring again to cross-sectional view 104, a region 136 is
shown. The region 136 includes the compression region 126, the
alignment region 128, and the environment protection region 132.
When the lens 112 is fastened to the heat sink 120, a compression
surface 138 of the compression region 126 compresses the substrate
106 and thermal interface material 122 to the heat sink 120, while
the flange 130 aligns the substrate 106 (and LED 108) into the
desired position and the gasket 124 provides environmental
protection to protect the LED 108 from environmental conditions.
The features of the lens 112 contained in the region 136 are
described in more detail in another section of this document.
[0035] As a result, the lens 112 provides a simple and efficient
way to meet the beamforming and environmental protection
requirements for an exterior LED light source without the expense
and complicated mounting components utilized in conventional light
sources. To summarize, the lens 112 operates to provide at least
the following four functions. [0036] 1. Beamforming--The focusing
region 114 allows any beam pattern, such as IESNA (types 1-5) beam
patterns, to be produced from light emitted from a light source
comprising one or more semiconductor devices. [0037] 2.
Environmental Protection--Region 132 and gasket 124 provide
environmental protection, such as IP 65/66/67/68 ratings, to
protect the semiconductor light source from environmental
conditions. [0038] 3. Simplified Assembly--The alignment region 128
and the compression region 126 enable a fastening feature
(comprising mount holes 134) to be used to fasten the lens to a
heat sink and thereby assure environmental protection, alignment of
the semiconductor light source, and compression of the
semiconductor light source to the heat sink for heat dissipation.
[0039] 4. Electrical Connection--The conduit 118 provides an
environmentally protected wiring conduit to allow power, ground
and/or signal conductors to be routed to the semiconductor light
source.
[0040] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the region 136 of the
apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1. The detailed view 136 illustrates
the arrangement of the lens 112, heat sink 120, and substrate 106.
The detailed view 136 also illustrates the features of the lens 112
which provide beamforming, environmental protection, simplified
assembly, and electrical connections.
[0041] When assembled, the lens 112 is fastened to the heat sink
120 using the fastening feature. For example, the fastening feature
comprises a fastener, such as a screw, pin, or clip 202 that is
installed in the mounting hole 134. In another implementation, the
fastening feature comprises a latch or a snap-closure, which
utilize the mounting holes 134 to fasten the lens 112 to the heat
sink 120. When fastened together the lens 112 and the heat sink 120
compress the gasket 124 to form an environmentally protective seal
to protect the semiconductor light source from exposure to moisture
or other harmful environmental conditions. For example, the lens
112 comprises a protection surface 212 that compresses the gasket
124 or O-ring to the heat sink 120. The gasket 124 comprises an
elastomer designed to provide a moisture barrier when
compressed.
[0042] As illustrated, the lens 112 comprises the flange 130 which
operates to surround and capture the substrate 106 into a
particular location or position with respect to the lens 112
thereby providing a mechanism for aligning the location of the
semiconductor light source to achieve the desired beam pattern. For
example, the LED 108 is aligned into a selected position by
aligning the substrate 106. When the LED 108 is aligned, its
emitted light will strike the focusing portion 114 of the lens 112
to produce the desired beam pattern. In another implementation, the
flange 130 may not completely surround the substrate 106 but may
form several smaller flanges or teeth that are spaced around the
substrate and operate to capture the substrate. In another
implementation, the flange 130 is implemented as one or more
alignment pins that align with alignment holes in the substrate 106
thereby aligning the substrate 106 when the alignment pins
penetrate the substrate alignment holes as the lens 112 is fastened
to the heat sink 120.
[0043] Therefore, although the alignment of the substrate 106 and
ultimately the semiconductor light source is performed by the
flange 130, the alignment of the substrate 106 may also be achieved
using alignment teeth, pins or other alignment mechanism that
performs alignment of the substrate 106 when the lens 112 is
fastened to the heat sink 120.
[0044] The compression surface 138 optionally comprises a thermal
isolation material 204 and a rigid layer 206. When the lens 112 is
fastened to the heat sink 120, the rigid layer 206 and the
isolation material 204 compress against the substrate 106 to
compress the substrate 106 and thermal interface material 122
against the heat sink 120. This facilitates dissipation of heat
generated by the semiconductor light source into the heat sink 120.
The rigid layer 206 comprises metal or other material that can
withstand compression onto the substrate 106 without damage. The
rigid layer 206 contacts the substrate 106 along the substrate's
perimeter. In one implementation, the rigid layer 206 contacts the
substrate 106 along its entire perimeter. In another
implementation, the rigid layer 206 contacts only selected regions
of the substrate 106 located along its perimeter. The rigid layer
206 operates to compress the substrate 106 to the heat sink 120 and
so it is possible that the rigid layer 206 have any desired sized
or shaped regions to accomplish this function.
[0045] Between the lens 112 and the rigid layer 206 is the thermal
isolation material 204. The thermal isolation material 204
comprises any material that can protect the lens 112 from heat that
may be experienced by the rigid layer 206. For example, as the
rigid layer 206 compresses the substrate 106 to the heat sink 120,
heat will flow from the substrate 106 to the rigid layer 206. If
the rigid layer 206 is composed of metal then the heat transfer may
cause the temperature of the metal to reach a level that may damage
the lens 112. The thermal isolation material 204 operates to
protect the lens 112 from any heat that builds up in the rigid
layer 206.
[0046] To facilitate the transfer of heat, the thermal transfer
material 122 is provided between the substrate 106 and the heat
sink 120. The thermal transfer material 122 may comprise any
suitable material designed for this purpose.
[0047] The lens 112 also comprises the conduit 118, which provides
a path for electrical connections to the semiconductor light
source. For example, power (+) and ground (-) wires can pass
through the conduit 118 and attach to the substrate 106 at
conductive pads 208 to provide power to the semiconductor light
source. In one implementation, an environmentally protective
connector 210 is mounted to the conduit 118 and operates to prevent
moisture or gas from penetrating the region inside the lens 112.
The connector 210 may be any connector suitable for this
purpose.
[0048] In an alternative implementation, a conduit 212 through the
heat sink 120 is provided. The conduit 212 allows power (+) and
ground (-) wires to pass to the substrate 106 to provide power to
the semiconductor light source. An environmentally protective
connector 216 is also provided.
[0049] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary apparatus 300 for providing
beamforming and environmental protection for LED light sources. For
example, the apparatus 300 may be used as the lens apparatus 112
shown in FIG. 1.
[0050] The apparatus 300 comprises means (302) for aligning an LED
to a selected position. For example, in one implementation, means
302 comprises the flange 130.
[0051] The apparatus 300 also comprises means (304) for forming a
selected beam pattern from light emitted from the LED when located
at the selected position. For example, in one implementation, the
means 304 comprises the focusing portion 114.
[0052] The apparatus 300 also comprises means (306) for compressing
a substrate to a heat sink to facilitate heat dissipation from the
LED. For example, in one implementation, the means 306 comprises
the compression surface 138.
[0053] The apparatus 300 also comprises means (308) for fastening
the lens apparatus to the heat sink to provide an environmentally
protective seal, so that when the lens apparatus is fastened to the
heat sink the means for aligning aligns the LED to the selected
position, the means for compressing compresses the substrate to the
heat sink, and the protective seal protects the LED from
environmental conditions. For example, in one implementation, the
means 308 comprises the protection surface 212 and gasket 124.
[0054] Thus, the apparatus 300 operates to provide beamforming and
environmental protection for LED light sources.
[0055] The various aspects of this disclosure are provided to
enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the present
invention. Various modifications to aspects presented throughout
this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the
art, and the concepts disclosed herein may be extended to other
applications. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to
the various aspects of this disclosure, but are to be accorded the
full scope consistent with the language of the claims. All
structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the
various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known
or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are
expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be
encompassed by the claims.
[0056] Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be
dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is
explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be
construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. .sctn.112, sixth
paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase
"means for" or, in the case of a method claim, the element is
recited using the phrase "step for."
[0057] Accordingly, while aspects of an LED apparatus for
beamforming and environmental protection for LED lighting devices
have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated
that various changes can be made to the aspects without departing
from their spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the
disclosures and descriptions herein are intended to be
illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention,
which is set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *