Hinged Heat Sink Assembly for Concealed Adjustable LED Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lighting devices mounted in ceilings or walls face challenges in efficiently dissipating heat from LED components due to enclosed or poorly ventilated environments, leading to overheating and potential premature failure, while also requiring access for maintenance and installation through large openings.
Innovation Solution
A lighting device assembly featuring a heat sink composed of sheet metal with a hinged aiming mechanism, allowing for efficient heat dissipation and ease of access, mounted through a small opening, and enabling adjustable light direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the lighting device is mounted in an enclosed ceiling or wall environment, then the lighting device can be concealed and aesthetically pleasing, but heat dissipation from the LED component is inhibited leading to overheating
Solution Approach 1:
A heat sink is introduced as an intermediary component between the LED and the enclosed housing. The heat sink receives heat from the LED through thermal conduction and dissipates it to the surrounding environment through its extended surfaces, acting as a thermal mediator that resolves the conflict between concealed mounting and effective heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat sink employs extended surfaces and fins that project into the enclosed space, utilizing the three-dimensional volume of the housing cavity to maximize heat dissipation surface area. This dimensional approach allows efficient heat transfer without requiring a large opening in the ceiling or wall.
2Ease of repair
If large openings are provided in the ceiling or wall for access to components, then maintenance and installation are facilitated, but the aesthetic appearance and structural integrity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into removable portions (such as trim rings or access panels) that can be detached to provide access to internal components. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access the LED and driver without removing large sections of the ceiling or wall, preserving structural integrity and aesthetics while facilitating repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is designed with pre-configured access mechanisms and removable components that are prepared in advance for easy removal and reinstallation. This preliminary design of access paths allows quick maintenance operations without requiring large or complex openings.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed mounting configurations are used, then installation is simplified, but adjustability of light direction is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system incorporates movable or adjustable components such as hinged brackets, rotatable mounts, or spring-loaded positioning mechanisms that allow the optic assembly to be adjusted to different angles and positions. These dynamic elements maintain simple installation procedures while providing post-installation adjustability for optimal light direction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively maintains LED component temperatures below safety thresholds, facilitates maintenance, and reduces manufacturing costs by using a compact design with improved thermal conductivity and adjustability.
Implementation Method 1
a heat sink configured to couple the optic assembly to an opening of the housing that defines the cavity
Implementation Method 2
The heat sink includes a hinged aiming mechanism configured to movably couple the optic assembly to the housing to allow the light source to move relative to the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting device assembly includes an optic assembly having a light source, a housing having a cavity in which the at least a portion of the optic assembly is received, the housing is configured to secure the lighting device assembly to a wall, a ceiling, or a surface, and a heat sink configured to couple the optic assembly to an opening of the housing that defines the cavity. The heat sink includes a hinged aiming mechanism configured to movably couple the optic assembly to the housing to allow the light source to move relative to the housing.