Lighting Devices with Integrated Heat Dissipating Reflectors

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a challenge in creating a low-cost lighting fixture that provides significant light output, maintains uniform color and brightness, and effectively dissipates heat, while meeting specific geometrical constraints and aesthetic requirements, particularly when using multi-color light sources like BSY LEDs and red LEDs.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves a lighting device with clustered light sources mounted on smaller circuit boards, eliminating the need for a separate heat sink, using a reflector with anisotropic heat conductivity for heat dissipation, and optical devices with controlled reflective/transmissive properties to enhance light uniformity and color mixing, allowing for flexible use of different colors and temperatures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If traditional separate heat sink and optical components are used, then heat dissipation and light uniformity can be achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefixture structureVSAvoidheat dissipation

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the heat sink and optical device into a single integrated component. The optical device includes a light-diffusing portion that also serves as a heat dissipation structure, eliminating the need for separate heat sink and optical components. This integration reduces device complexity while maintaining effective heat dissipation and light uniformity through the combined structure's design features such as fin structures and diffusing patterns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Illumination intensity

If more light sources are added to increase light output, then illumination intensity improves, but heat generation and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight outputVSAvoidheat generation

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful heat generated by multiple light sources into a beneficial feature by designing the integrated optical device with heat-dissipating fin structures. The fins increase surface area for heat dissipation, transforming the thermal byproduct of high-intensity lighting into an effective heat management solution. This allows multiple LEDs to operate at high intensity while maintaining safe operating temperatures through the heat-generating structure itself serving as the cooling mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Ease of manufacture

If light sources are clustered to reduce circuit board size, then manufacturing cost decreases, but light uniformity becomes difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecircuit board sizeVSAvoidlight uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating non-uniform light diffusion patterns in specific regions of the optical device. The light-diffusing portion includes varied diffusing structures such as microlenses, prisms, or scattering particles distributed non-uniformly to compensate for the clustered light source arrangement. This localized optimization of diffusing properties in different zones achieves uniform overall light output despite the concentrated LED placement, maintaining manufacturing precision while enabling cost-effective compact circuit boards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 approach results in improved light uniformity, higher efficacy, reduced manufacturing and operating costs, and the ability to maintain brightness and color uniformity even when adding or removing light sources, while adhering to size and aesthetic constraints.

Implementation Method 1

using a reflector with anisotropic heat conductivity for heat dissipation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

optical devices with controlled reflective/transmissive properties to enhance light uniformity and color mixing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 3

optical devices with controlled reflective/transmissive properties to enhance light uniformity and color mixing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentUS10352547B2Lighting devices, fixture structures and components for use therein

Publication Date: 2019.07.16 IDEAL IND LIGHTING LLC

AI summary

In some embodiments, a lighting device comprising two or more light sources and an optical device configured to enhance uniformity of light emitted from the light sources and emerging from a surface of the optical device, an average distance between light sources less than one half of the square root of the area of the surface divided by the number of light sources. In some embodiments, a fixture structure comprising a reflective structure and a heat conductor in contact with the reflective structure and covering not more than 30 percent of the surface area of the reflective structure. In some embodiments, a lighting device comprising a fixture structure, at least one light source mounted on one substrate, and at least one light source mounted on another substrate. Other fixture structures and lighting devices.