Compact LED retrofit and adjustable centering ring

EP4739945A1Pending Publication Date: 2026-05-13LUMILEDS LLC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
EP · EP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
LUMILEDS LLC
Filing Date
2024-06-28
Publication Date
2026-05-13

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Compact LED retrofit light sources for automotive headlamps face challenges in achieving optimal beam patterns due to fixed centering rings, which restrict angular adjustment, and struggle with thermal design and integration of electronics, especially in compact forms like the H7 cap, where no light is emitted parallel to the surface, limiting compliance with varying beam performance requirements.

Method used

A rotatable referencing ring design that allows the lamp body to be adjusted relative to the centering ring by discrete angles, utilizing a disk-shaped member with chamfered slots that enable the protrusions on the lamp body to be pressure-fitted and locked into place, allowing for optimal angular positioning of LEDs, thus accommodating different beam emission angles and improving thermal management.

Benefits of technology

Enables flexible installation and adjustment of LED light sources to achieve optimal beam patterns, enhancing compatibility with various headlamp designs and improving thermal efficiency by allowing rotation of the lamp body relative to the referencing ring, thus addressing the limitations of fixed centering rings in compact LED retrofit designs.

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Abstract

A referencing ring (430), LRF light source (490) and method of assembling an LRF light source (490) are described. A referencing ring (430) includes a disk-shaped member with an opening formed in a middle of the disk-shaped member. The opening has a circumference. At least one chamfered slot (480) is formed in the disk-shaped member. The at least one slot (480) extends along the circumference of the opening a discrete number of degrees less than or equal to 360°.
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Description

COMPACT LED RETROFIT AND ADJUSTABLE CENTERING RINGCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Appln. No. 63 / 525,313, filed July 6, 2023 which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth.BACKGROUND

[0002] Light-emitting diode (LED) retrofit (LRF) light sources are becoming more and more popular for automotive headlighting as substitutes for halogen light sources. For halogen light sources, the intensity of light emitted by halogen lamp filaments is roughly constant around the axis of the filament.SUMMARY

[0003] A referencing ring, LRF light source and method of assembling an LRF light source are described. A referencing ring includes a disk-shaped member with an opening formed in a middle of the disk-shaped member. The opening has a circumference. At least one chamfered slot is formed in the disk-shaped member. The at least one slot extends along the circumference of the opening a discrete number of degrees less than or equal to 360°.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] A more detailed understanding can be had from the following description, given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0005] FIG. 1 A is a diagram of an example halogen light source for an automotive headlamp;

[0006] FIG. 1 B is a graph showing the light intensity distribution of an example light output of the halogen light source of FIG. 1A centered in a reflector headlamp;

[0007] FIG. 2A is a diagram of an example LRF light source for an automotive headlamp;

[0008] FIG. 2B is a graph showing the light intensity distribution of an example light output of the LRF light source of FIG 2A centered in a reflector headlamp;

[0009] FIG. 3A is an exploded view of an example compact LRF light source with integrated lamp body and referencing ring.

[0010] FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the example compact LRF light source of FIG. 3A when completely assembled;

[0011] FIG. 4A is a diagram of an example lamp body of an LRF light source;

[0012] FIG. 4B is a diagram of an example referencing ring;

[0013] FIG. 4C is a diagram of an example LRF light source that includes the lamp body ofFIG. 4A and the referencing ring of FIG. 4B;

[0014] FIG. 5A is a diagram of another example lamp body of an LRF light source;

[0015] FIG. 5B is a diagram of another example referencing ring;

[0016] FIG. 5C is a diagram of another example LRF light source that includes the lamp body of FIG. 5A and the referencing ring of FIG. 5B;

[0017] FIG. 6A is a diagram of another example lamp body of an LRF light source;

[0018] FIG. 6B is a diagram of another example referencing ring;

[0019] FIG. 6C is a diagram of another example LRF light source that includes the lamp body of FIG. 6A and the referencing ring of FIG. 6B;

[0020] FIG. 7 is a diagram of an example vehicle headlamp system; and

[0021] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an example method of assembling an LRF light source.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Examples of different light illumination systems and / or light emitting diode (“LED”) implementations will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. These examples are not mutually exclusive, and features found in one example may be combined with features found in one or more other examples to achieve additional implementations. Accordingly, it will be understood that the examples shown in the accompanying drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and they are not intended to limit the disclosure in any way. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0023] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used to distinguish one element from another For example, a first element may be termed a second element and a second element may be termed a first element without departing from the scope of the present invention. As used herein, the term "and / or" may include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0024] It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" or extending "onto" another element, it may be directly on or extend directly onto the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or extending "directly onto" another element, there may be no intervening elements present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being"connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element and / or connected or coupled to the other element via one or more intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements present between the element and the other element. It will be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the element in addition to any orientation depicted in the figures.

[0025] Relative terms such as "below," "above," "upper,", "lower," "horizontal" or "vertical" may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element, layer, or region to another element, layer, or region as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

[0026] FIG. 1A is a diagram of an example halogen light source 100 for an automotive headlamp. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1A, the halogen light source 100 includes a lighting portion 115 that includes a filament 120 and a top 135. The lighting portion 1 15 is electrically and mechanically coupled to a base portion or ring 130, so as to electrically couple the lighting portion 115 to a plug 1 10 and to stably secure the lighting portion 115 to the plug 1 10. The plug 1 10 extends from the base portion 130 such that the halogen light source 100 can be plugged into a headlamp (not shown) and receive power from an external power source (e.g., located in another location in the automobile) to power the halogen light source 100 on or off.

[0027] FIG. 1 B is a graph 150 showing the light intensity distribution of an example light output of the halogen light source 100 of FIG. 1A centered in a reflector headlamp 165. As can be seen from FIG. 1 B, the filament 120 of the halogen light source 100 emits light primarily perpendicular to the filament axis 175. The light intensity 160 is, therefore, substantially homogeneous surrounding filament axis 175, and essentially all reflector elements of the reflector 165 receive similar light intensity. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1 B, there is a dip in light intensity along the filament axis 175 due to the top 135, which, in this example, is a black top.

[0028] FIG. 2A is a diagram of an example LRF light source 200 for an automotive headlamp. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2A, the LRF light source 200 includes a lamp body 245 inserted in a referencing ring 230. The lamp body 245 includes a lighting portion 215 that includes an LED 220 and a rear section 225, which may include heat dissipation elements, such as a heat sink, fins and / or a fan, as well a plug 210. The LED 200 may be a single LED, multiple LEDs or a chip that includes multiple LEDs, for example. While not visible in FIG. 2A, another LED 220 may be disposed in the same location on the opposite side of the lamp body 245 (i.e., directly behind the LED 220 that is visible in FIG. 2A). The LED 220 is electrically coupled to the plug 210 on the rear section 225 and mechanically coupled to the lamp body 245 such that the LRF light source 200 can be plugged into aheadlamp (not shown) and receive power from an external power source (e.g., located in another location in the automobile) to power the LRF light source 200 on or off.

[0029] FIG. 2B is a graph 250 showing the light intensity distribution of an example light output of the LRF light source 200 of FIG. 2A centered in a reflector headlamp 265. As two LEDs 220 are placed back to back in the LRF light source 200, as shown in FIG. 2B, the LRF light source 200 emits light primarily on the horizontal axis 280 of the reflector headlamp 265. As can be seen, rather than one homogenous light intensity surrounding the filament, as shown in FIG. 1 B for the halogen light source 100, there are two bulb-shaped areas 260a and 260b of light directed horizontally on either side of the location where the lamp filament 120 would be in the halogen light source 100 of FIG. 1A.

[0030] Accordingly, while LRF light sources are typically designed to mimic the light output of a halogen light source, they are still able to only emit light in two opposite directions perpendicular to the light emitting area of the LEDs. In such LRF light sources, then, essentially no light may be emitted parallel to this surface. Thus, the beam pattern of an LRF light source, after installation in a headlamp, depends on the angle of rotation around the central axis of the LRF light source. In most headlamps, the optimal beam pattern is achieved when the maximum intensity is emitted in two opposing horizontal directions. However, some headlamps may require an emission angle that differs from this default to generate a legal beam.

[0031] For an LRF light source, such as illustrated in FIG. 2A, the interface to the headlamp may be realized by the referencing ring 230. In LRF light sources with a larger heat dissipating element on the rear section 225, such as shown in FIG. 2A, it may be necessary to separate the centering ring 230 from the lamp body for installation. LED retrofit light sources for automotive headlighting are, however, becoming increasingly more compact, and their outer form factor approaches the geometry of the corresponding halogen light source to be retrofitted. For light sources with very compact caps, such as H7, this imposes challenges for thermal design as well as integration of electronics.

[0032] To deal with the design challenges for compact LRF light sources, the lamp body and referencing ring are often die casted as two half shells, each including half of the lamp body and half of the referencing ring, which may then be fitted together to form a lamp body with an integrated referencing ring. An example of such a compact LRF light source is illustrated in FIGs. 3A and 3B.

[0033] FIG. 3A is an exploded view of an example compact LRF light source 300A with integrated lamp body and referencing ring. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3A, the compact LRF light source 300A includes a first integrated lamp body and referencing ring shell 330A and a second integrated lamp body and referencing ring shell 330B. A heat sink or other substrate on which theLED 320 is disposed is sandwiched between the first and second shells 330A and 330B and is electrically coupled to a plug 310. Screws or other fixation members 395A and 395B may be used to mechanically couple the first and second shells 330A and 330B together when in a fully assembled state.

[0034] FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the example compact LRF light source of FIG. 3A when completely assembled. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3A, the two integrated lamp body and referencing ring shells 330A and 330B are mechanically coupled together via the screws or other fixation members 395A and 395B. The heat sink or other substrate on which the LED 320 is disposed may be sandwiched between the first and second shells 330A and 330B such that the LED 320 is exposed through an opening in the first shell 330A. An LED 320 on the opposite side of the compact LRF light source 300B (not shown in FIG. 3B) may be similarly exposed through an opening in the second shell 330B.

[0035] For such LRF light sources, the referencing ring is not movable. Accordingly, there is no ability for the installer of the light source to install the lamp body at different angles of rotation relative to the centering ring to enable compliance with beam performance requirements for headlamps. Embodiments described herein, therefore, provide for embodiments a referencing ring that allows rotation of the lamp body relative to the referencing ring in an LRF light source of compact design that is consistent with the outline and electrical interfaces of the corresponding halogen light sources.

[0036] FIG. 4A is a diagram of an example lamp body 400 of an LRF light source (not shown in FIG. 4A). In the example illustrated in FIG. 4A, the lamp body 400 includes an LED 420 on a first surface 465 of the lamp body 400. A second surface, opposed to the first surface, is not visible in FIG. 4A, and another LED is disposed on the second surface in a location corresponding to the LED 420 on the first surface 465. The LRF light source 400 also includes a base portion 475, which includes at least one protrusion 440. Only one protrusion 440 is illustrated in FIG. 4A, although more than one protrusion can be provided on the base portion 440 consistent with the embodiments described herein. As an example, using a second protrusion at a position opposed to the first protrusion can be beneficial to increase the stability of the assembly of the lamp body 400 with a referencing ring 430 as shown in FIG. 4B. The base portion 475 of the LRF light source 400 may be mechanically coupled to a platform 455, which may include a plug 410 (only partially visible in FIG. 4A). The plug 410 may be electrically coupled to the LED 420 such that, when plugged into a socket, it may receive power from an external power source (e.g., in another location in the vehicle) to provide power to the LED 420 to power the LED 420 on and off.

[0037] FIG. 4B is a diagram of an example referencing ring 430. In the example illustrated in FIG. 4B, the referencing ring 430 is a disk-shaped member that includes an opening in the middle and notches 470 adjacent the opening through which corresponding protrusions (not shown in FIG. 4B) on the base portion 475 of lamp body 400 may pass through when inserted through the referencing ring 430 during assembly. The referencing ring 430 also includes slots 480, adjacent the opening, which may be, for example, chamfered cutaways. In some embodiments, a second slot 485 may be included adjacent the slot 480, which may be deeper than the slot 480 and enable the protrusion 440 to be locked into place when inserted into the referencing ring 430. For this purpose, the second slot 485 may be a similar shape and size to the protrusion 440.

[0038] FIG. 4C is a diagram of an example LRF light source 490 that includes the lamp body 400 of FIG. 4A and the referencing ring 430 of FIG. 4B. During assembly, the lamp body 400 may be inserted through an opening in the referencing ring 430 such that the protrusion or protrusions 440 pass through the slots 470 in the referencing ring 430. The lamp body 330 may then be rotated until the LED 420 is at an optimal angular position. The protrusion 440 may mechanically press against the corresponding slot 480 until it is pressure fit in place. In embodiments where a second slot 485 is provided, the protrusion 440 may be slit along a top surface of the slot 480 until it rests in the second slot 485 and is locked in place. In embodiments where there is no second slot 485, the lamp body 400 can be held in the optimal angular position by pure friction between the protrusion 440 and the slot 480.

[0039] While the example illustrated in FIGs. 4B and 4C show a referencing ring 430 with a shorter slot that takes up less than a quarter of the circumference of the opening in the referencing ring 430, allowing for a larger angular rotation of the lamp body 400, other designs are possible within the scope of the embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the slots may be smaller, allowing for exact degrees of rotation of the lamp body (e.g., discrete angles, such as 5°, 10°, 25°, etc.). In other embodiments, such as illustrated in FIGs. 5B and 50, which are described in more detail below, the slots can be longer, allowing for a large degree of design freedom in rotating the lamp body over practically any amount of rotation. While two notches are shown in FIGs. 4B, 4C, 5B and 5C, less or more notches can be included consistent with the embodiments described herein.

[0040] FIG. 5A is a diagram of an example lamp body 500 of an LRF light source (not shown in FIG. 5A). In the example illustrated in FIG. 5A, the lamp body 500 includes an LED 520 on a first surface 565 of the lamp body 500. A second surface, opposed to the first surface, is not visible in FIG. 5A, and another LED is disposed on the second surface in a location corresponding to the LED 520 on the first surface 565. The LRF light source 500 also includes a base portion 575, which includes at least one protrusion 540. Only one protrusion 540 is illustrated in FIG. 5A, although morethan one protrusion can be provided on the base portion 575 consistent with the embodiments described herein. The base portion 575 of the LRF light source 500 may be mechanically coupled to a platform 555, which may include a plug 510 (only partially visible in FIG. 5A). The plug 510 may be electrically coupled to the LED 520 such that, when plugged into a socket, it may be receive power from an external power source (e.g., in another location in the vehicle) to provide power to the LED 520 to power the LED 520 on and off.

[0041] FIG. 5B is a diagram of an example referencing ring 530. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5B, the referencing ring 530 is a disk-shaped member with an opening formed in the middle and includes notches 570 adjacent the opening through which corresponding protrusions (not shown in FIG. 5B) on the base portion 575 of lamp body 500 may pass through when inserted through the referencing ring 530 during assembly. The referencing ring 530 also includes slots 580, which may be, for example, chamfered cutaways.

[0042] FIG. 5C is a diagram of an example LRF light source 590 that includes the lamp body 500 of FIG. 5A and the referencing ring 530 of FIG. 5B. During assembly, the lamp body 500 may be inserted through an opening in the referencing ring 530 such that the protrusion or protrusions 540 pass through the notches 570 in the referencing ring 530. The lamp body 500 may then be rotated until the LED 520 is at an optimal angular position. The protrusion 540 may mechanically press against the corresponding slot 580 until it is pressure fit in place. As mentioned above, the referencing ring 530 shown in FIGs. 5B and 5C includes slots 580 that are longer, taking up almost half of the circumference of the opening in the referencing ring 530 each. This may allow a greater degree of freedom in rotating the lamp body 500 relative to the referencing ring 530.

[0043] In some embodiments, as mentioned above, the referencing ring may be rotatable at any possible angle. In such embodiments, the referencing ring may include a single slot that extends around nearly the entire circumference of the opening in the referencing ring. Such referencing ring may include only one notch, and the lamp body may include only one protrusion to engage with the single slot In such embodiments, the referencing ring may be removable or non-removable but rotatable substantially 360°. An example of such a referencing ring and the corresponding lamp body is illustrated in FIGs. 6A, 6B and 6C. Where the referencing ring is non-removable, the slot or slots may be eliminated from the design, and it is possible that the ring could be rotatable 360° or over any discrete number of degrees that is desirable.

[0044] FIG. 6A is a diagram of an example lamp body 600 of an LRF light source (not shown in FIG. 6A). In the example illustrated in FIG. 6A, the lamp body 600 includes an LED 620 on a first surface 665 of the lamp body 600. A second surface, opposed to the first surface, is not visible in FIG. 6A, and another LED is disposed on the second surface in a location corresponding to the LED620 on the first surface 665. The LRF light source 600 also includes a base portion 675, which includes at least one protrusion 640. The base portion 675 of the LRF light source 600 may be mechanically coupled to a platform 655, which may include a plug (not visible in FIG. 6A). The plug may be electrically coupled to the LED 620 such that, when plugged into a socket, it may be receive power from an external power source (e.g., in another location in the vehicle) to provide power to the LED 620 to power the LED 620 on and off.

[0045] FIG. 6B is a diagram of an example referencing ring 630. In the example illustrated in FIG. 6B, the referencing ring 630 is a disk-shaped member with an opening formed in the middle and includes a notch 670 adjacent the opening through which the corresponding protrusion (not shown in FIG. 6B) on the base portion 675 of lamp body 600 may pass through when inserted through the referencing ring 630 during assembly. The referencing ring 630 also includes slots 680, which may be, for example, chamfered cutaways.

[0046] FIG. 6C is a diagram of an example LRF light source 690 that includes the lamp body 600 of FIG. 6A and the referencing ring 630 of FIG. 6B. During assembly, the lamp body 600 may be inserted through an opening in the referencing ring 630 such that the protrusion 640 passes through the notch 670 in the referencing ring 630. The lamp body 600 may then be rotated until the LED 620 is at an optimal angular position. The protrusion 640 may mechanically press against the corresponding slot 680 until it is pressure fit in place. As mentioned above, the referencing ring 630 shown in FIGs. 6B and 6C includes a slot 680 that takes up substantially the entire circumference of the opening in the referencing ring 630. This may allow a maximum degree of freedom in rotating the lamp body 600 relative to the referencing ring 630.

[0047] In all of the embodiments described above, the referencing ring is rotatable over discrete angles. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4C, the referencing ring is routable over discrete angles of less than 90° (e.g., 1° - 80°). For another example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5C, the referencing ring is rotatable over discrete angles less than 180° (e.g., 1° - 170°). For another example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6C, the referencing ring is rotatable over a discrete angle substantially 360° (e.g., 1 ° - 350°). In practice, the allowable degree of rotation of the referencing ring may be equal to the circumference of each slot minus the circumference of the notch adjacent to the slot (which may be similar to, e.g., slightly larger, the length of the corresponding protrusion on the lamp body). If the referencing ring is not removable, as explained above, the slot or slots may be eliminated such that the ring could be rotatable a full 360° or any discrete number of degrees less than 360° if desirable. While not shown in the drawings, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that other angles may be possible similar to the embodiments shown in FIGs. 4C, 5C, and 6C such that a referencing ring can be made to be rotatable any discrete number of degreesby adding additional slots and notches, or removing slots and notches, such that the included slots and notches cover the desired range of rotation. In such embodiments, the referencing ring may be removable or non-removable. In embodiments where the referencing is non-removable, notches may not be provided in the centering ring as they may not be needed for inserting the lamp body into the referencing ring.

[0048] FIG. 7 is a diagram of an example vehicle headlamp system 700. The example vehicle headlamp system 700 illustrated in FIG. 7 includes an application platform 702, two LED lighting systems 706 and 708, and secondary optics 710 and 712.

[0049] The LED lighting system 708 may emit light beams 714 (shown between arrows 714a and 714b in FIG. 7). The LED lighting system 706 may emit light beams 716 (shown between arrows 716a and 716b in FIG. 7). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a secondary optic 710 is adjacent the LED lighting system 708, and the light emitted from the LED lighting system 708 passes through the secondary optic 710. Similarly, a secondary optic 712 is adjacent the LED lighting system 706, and the light emitted from the LED lighting system 706 passes through the secondary optic 712. In alternative embodiments, no secondary optics 710 / 712 are provided in the vehicle headlamp system.

[0050] Where included, the secondary optics 710 / 712 may be or include one or more light guides. The one or more light guides may be edge lit or may have an interior opening that defines an interior edge of the light guide. LED lighting systems 708 and 706 may be inserted in the interior openings of the one or more light guides such that they inject light into the interior edge (interior opening light guide) or exterior edge (edge lit light guide) of the one or more light guides. In embodiments, the one or more light guides may shape the light emitted by the LED lighting systems 708 and 706 in a desired manner, such as, for example, with a gradient, a chamfered distribution, a narrow distribution, a wide distribution, or an angular distribution.

[0051] The application platform 702 may provide power and / or data to the LED lighting systems 706 and / or 708 via lines 704, which may include power lines and the data bus. One or more sensors (which may be the sensors in the vehicle headlamp system 700 or other additional sensors) may be internal or external to the housing of the application platform 702. Alternatively, or in addition, each LED lighting system 708 and 706 may include its own sensor module, connectivity and control module, power module, and / or LED array.

[0052] In embodiments, the vehicle headlamp system 700 may represent an automobile with steerable light beams where LEDs may be selectively activated to provide steerable light. For example, an array of LEDs or emitters may be used to define or project a shape or pattern or illuminate only selected sections of a roadway. In an example embodiment, infrared cameras or detector pixelswithin LED lighting systems 706 and 708 may be sensors that identify portions of a scene (e.g., roadway or pedestrian crossing) that require illumination.

[0053] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an example method of assembling an LRF light source. In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the method includes obtaining a lamp body (810), obtaining a referencing ring (820), and rotating the referencing ring a desired number of degrees (830). The lamp body and referencing ring may be a lamp body such as any of the ones described above and / or illustrated in the Figures. The referencing ring may be rotated the desired number of degrees such that at least one protrusion on the lamp body engages with at least one chamfered slot in the referencing ring at the desired number of degrees. In some embodiments, the at least one protrusion is slid along a top surface of the slot until it engages with a second, deeper slot, as described in more detail above. In some embodiments, the lamp body may be inserted in an opening in the referencing ring prior to the rotating. The desired number of degrees may be limited by a number of the at least one slot and a length of the at least one slot. In some embodiments, the desired number of degrees may be between 10and 80°. In some embodiments, the desired number of degrees may be between 1° and 170°.

[0054] As would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art, based on the description herein, embodiments of the present invention can be designed in software using a hardware description language (HDL) such as, for example, Verilog or VHDL. The HDL-design can model the behavior of an electronic system, where the design can be synthesized and ultimately fabricated into a hardware device. In addition, the HDL-design can be stored in a computer product and loaded into a computer system prior to hardware manufacture.

[0055] Having described the embodiments in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, given the present description, modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit of the inventive concept. Therefore, it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:1 . A referencing ring for a light-emitting diode (LED) retrofit light source, the referencing ring comprising: a disk-shaped member with an opening formed in a middle of the disk-shaped member, the opening having a circumference; and at least one chamfered slot formed in the disk-shaped member, the slot extending along the circumference of the opening a discrete number of degrees less than or equal to 360°.

2. The referencing ring of claim 1 , further comprising at least one notch formed in the disk-shaped member3. The referencing ring of claim 1 , wherein the disk-shaped member comprises two chamfered slots, each extending along the circumference of the opening a discrete number of degrees.

4. The referencing ring of claim 1 , wherein the disk-shaped member comprises four chamfered slots, each extending along the circumference of the opening a discrete number of degrees.

5. The referencing ring of claim 1 , wherein the disk-shaped member comprises one chamfered slot extending along the circumference of the opening 360° or substantially 360°.

6. The referencing ring of claim 1 , further comprising at least one second chamfered slot adjacent the at least one chamfered slot, the at least one second chamfered slot being deeper than the at least one chamfered slot.

7. A light-emitting diode (LED) retrofit light source comprising: a lamp body comprising: a first LED on a first surface of the lamp body, a second LED on a second surface of the lamp body opposite the first surface, and at least one protrusion; and a referencing ring comprising:a disk-shaped member with an opening formed in a middle of the disk-shaped member, the opening having a circumference, and at least one chamfered slot formed in the disk-shaped member, the slot extending along the circumference of the opening a discrete number of degrees less than or equal to 360°.

8. The LED light source of claim 7, wherein the lamp body isdisposed within the opening in the referencing ring with the at least one protrusion engaged with the at least one notch at a position corresponding to a desired angle of placement of the first and second LEDs.

9. The LED light source of claim 7, wherein the disk-shaped member comprises two chamfered slots, each extending along the circumference of the opening a discrete number of degrees.

10. The LED light source of claim 7, wherein the disk-shaped member comprises four chamfered slots, each extending along the circumference of the opening a discrete number of degrees11. The LED light source of claim 7, wherein the disk-shaped member comprises one chamfered slot extending along the circumference of the opening 360° or substantially 360°.

12. The LED light source of claim 7, wherein: the referencing ring further comprises at least one second chamfered slot adjacent the at least one chamfered slot, the at least one second chamfered slot being deeper than the at least one chamfered slot, and the at least one protrusion is locked in place in the at least one second chamfered slot.

13. The LED light source of claim 7, wherein the disk-shaped member further comprises at least one notch formed in the disk-shaped member, the at least one notch being slightly larger than the at least one protrusion such that the at least one protrusion is slidable through the at least one notch upon removal of the referencing ring from, or placement of the referencing ring around, the lamp body.

14. The LED light source of claim 7, wherein no notches are formed in the disk-shaped member such that the referencing ring is not removable from the lamp body.

15. A method of assembling a light-emitting diode (LED) light source, the method comprising: obtaining a lamp body comprising: a first LED on a first surface of the lamp body, a second LED on a second surface of the lamp body opposite the first surface, at least one protrusion, and a referencing ring comprising: a disk-shaped member with an opening formed in a middle of the diskshaped member, the opening having a circumference, and at least one chamfered slot formed in the disk-shaped member, the slot extending along the circumference of the opening a discrete number of degrees less than 360°; and rotating the referencing ring a desired number of degrees such that the at least one protrusion on the lamp body engages with the at least one chamfered slot at the desired number of degrees.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the referencing ring further comprises at least one notch formed in the disk-shaped member, and the method further comprises inserting the lamp body in the opening in the referencing ring prior to the rotating by sliding the lamp body through the opening in the disk-shaped member such that the at least one protrusion slides through the at least one notch.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the desired number of degrees is limited by a number of the at least one slot and a length of the at least one slot.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the desired number of degrees is between 1 ° and 80°.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the desired number of degrees is between 1 ° and 170°.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein:the referencing ring further comprises at least one second chamfered slot adjacent the at least one chamfered slot, the at least one second chamfered slot being deeper than the at least one chamfered slot, and the rotating the referencing ring further comprises rotating the referencing ring the desired number of degrees such that the at least one protrusion slides over a top surface of the at least one slot until it locks in place in the at least one second slot.