Integrated LED Driver Socket Assembly for Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing LED lighting fixtures require a separate driver assembly that is labor-intensive and costly to mount and wire, making it difficult to design streamlined and elegant lighting solutions for high-intensity LEDs.
Innovation Solution
An integrated LED driver assembly is incorporated into a standard LED socket, combining electrical and thermal connections in a single receptacle, featuring a printed circuit board with a constant current driver circuit and a heat sink for efficient heat dissipation, allowing for easy assembly without solder or thermal adhesive connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate LED driver assembly is used, then the LED can be properly powered with constant current regulation, but the assembly requires additional mounting and wiring labor and hardware
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the LED driver circuit board and heat sink into a single integrated assembly that attaches to the LED socket. The driver board includes constant current regulation circuitry and connects to the LED through a socket interface, while the heat sink provides thermal management. This merging eliminates the need for separate mounting and wiring operations, as the entire driver assembly attaches as one unit to the socket.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated driver assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: electrical power regulation through constant current control, thermal management through the heat sink, and mechanical mounting through the socket interface. The universal design allows the same assembly to handle both high-power LEDs and LED arrays, providing constant current regulation and heat dissipation in a single standardized component.
2Reliability
If a separate LED driver assembly is used, then the LED can be properly powered, but the fixture design becomes less streamlined and elegant
Solution Approach 1:
The driver circuit board and heat sink are merged into a single integrated assembly that fits within the LED socket housing. This consolidation allows the driver components to be housed within the same space as the LED, creating a compact and streamlined fixture design without requiring separate driver enclosures or additional mounting structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The driver assembly is nested within the LED socket structure. The circuit board mounts to the heat sink, which in turn attaches to the socket body, creating a compact nested arrangement. This nesting allows the driver components to be housed within the existing socket footprint, eliminating the need for external driver housings and simplifying the overall fixture design.
3Strength
If traditional mounting methods are used for separate driver assemblies, then the driver can be securely mounted, but additional hardware and assembly steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting function is merged with the heat sink structure. The heat sink includes integrated mounting features such as tabs or flanges that attach directly to the LED socket using standard socket mounting hardware. This integration means the driver assembly uses the same mounting mechanism as the LED itself, eliminating the need for separate mounting operations and reducing assembly steps.
4Ease of manufacture
If the driver assembly is integrated into the LED socket, then assembly is simplified and labor costs are reduced, but the electrical and thermal connections must be precisely integrated
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated driver assembly is segmented into distinct functional modules: the circuit board with electrical connections, the heat sink with thermal contact surfaces, and the mounting interface. This segmentation allows each module to be independently manufactured and tested, then assembled into the final integrated unit. The modular design simplifies the integration process by providing clear interfaces between components, reducing the precision requirements compared to monolithic integration.
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
This solution simplifies the assembly process, reduces labor and hardware costs, and enables the creation of elegant, efficient LED lighting fixtures by integrating the driver and thermal management directly into the LED socket, enhancing both electrical and thermal performance.
Implementation Method 1
a heat sink for efficient heat dissipation
Implementation Method 2
a heat sink for efficient heat dissipation
Data Source
AI summary
A mounting assembly for supporting an LED in a lighting fixture. A first substrate containing the LED has contact pads in electrical communication with the LED. A contact carrier has a plurality of contacts that correspond with the contact pads of the first substrate. A second substrate has electronic components to power the LED. A first contact arrangement on the second substrate engages the integral electrical contact portions of the contact carrier, and a second contact arrangement provides external connections to the electronic components. A heat sink portion is engaged in thermal contact with the contact carrier and the first substrate. The heat sink portion includes finned members for dissipation of heat generated by the LED disposed within the heat sink portion. A slot is provided in the heat sink projecting axially of the heat sink portion, for receiving and securing the second substrate.