HK1154281A - Light fixture assembly and led assembly - Google Patents

Description

Lighting device assembly and LED assembly

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an LED assembly that can be thermally and/or electrically connected to a lighting device assembly housing.

Background

Lighting fixture assemblies such as lights, ceiling lights and follow spot lights are important fixtures in many homes and business settings. Such assemblies are not only used to illuminate an area, but are also often used as part of the decor of an area. However, it is often difficult to incorporate both form and function in a lighting device assembly without compromising one or the other.

Conventional lighting device assemblies typically use incandescent light bulbs. Incandescent bulbs, while inexpensive, are not energy efficient and have a very low luminous efficiency. To overcome the shortcomings of incandescent bulbs, more energy efficient and longer lasting lighting sources such as fluorescent bulbs, High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs, and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have begun to be used. Fluorescent and HID bulbs require a ballast to regulate the flow of power through the bulb, making it difficult to incorporate them into standard lighting equipment components. Thus, LEDs, which were previously used for particular applications, are increasingly being considered as light sources for more traditional lighting device assemblies.

LEDs offer many advantages over incandescent, fluorescent, and HID bulbs. For example, LEDs produce more light per watt than incandescent light bulbs, the color of the LED does not change when dimmed, and the LED can be constructed within a solid housing that provides enhanced protection and durability. LEDs also have very long life spans, sometimes in excess of 100,00 hours, which is twice as long as the life spans of the best fluorescent and HID bulbs, and twenty times longer than the life spans of the best incandescent bulbs, if operated properly. Furthermore, LEDs typically fail by becoming progressively darker over time, rather than burning out abruptly as incandescent, fluorescent, and HID bulbs. LEDs are more desirable than fluorescent bulbs also due to their reduced size and lack of ballast, and can be mass produced to be very small and easily mounted on a printed circuit board.

While LEDs have various advantages over incandescent, fluorescent, and HID bulbs, the challenge of how to properly manage and dissipate the heat emitted by LEDs has been a deterrent to the widespread adoption of LEDs. The performance of LEDs is typically dependent on the ambient temperature of the operating environment, such that the use of LEDs in environments with moderately high ambient temperatures can lead to overheating of the LED, as well as premature failure of the LED. Furthermore, operating an LED at a sufficient brightness to fully illuminate an area for an extended period of time can also cause the LED to overheat and prematurely fail.

Thus, high output LEDs require a thermocouple to be connected to the heat sink in order to achieve the promotional life expected by the LED manufacturer. This often results in the creation of lighting device components that are not upgradeable or replaceable within a given lighting device. For example, LEDs are traditionally permanently coupled with a heat dissipation device housing, which requires the end user to discard the entire assembly after the lifetime of the LED is over.

Disclosure of Invention

One embodiment of the luminaire assembly may transfer heat from the LEDs directly into the luminaire housing through a compression-loaded member, such as a thermal pad, to allow for proper thermal conduction between the two. In addition, certain embodiments of the lighting fixture assembly enable end users to upgrade their LED engines as LED technology advances by providing a removable LED light source with thermal coupling that does not require the use of metal springs during manufacture, or excessive force by the end user of the LED when installing the LED into the lighting fixture housing.

Some embodiments of the lighting device assembly may include (1) an LED assembly and (2) an LED socket. The LED assembly may include a first engagement member and the socket may include a second engagement member, such as an angular groove. As the LED assembly rotates, the first engagement member may move downward along the angular slot such that the compression loaded heat sink pad forms an interface with the lighting fixture housing. The compressed interface may allow for proper thermal conduction from the LED assembly to the lighting device housing. Additionally, when the LED assembly is rotated to the engaged position, it connects with the electrical contacts of the LED socket for electrical transmission. Thus, the use of a compression interface increases ease of operation while allowing for a large amount of compression force without the need for a conventional steel spring. Further, the LED assembly and LED socket can be used in various heat dissipating (heat dissipating) device housings, allowing for easy removal or replacement of the LEDs. Although in certain embodiments the LED assembly and LED socket are shown as having circular perimeters, various shapes may be used for the LED assembly and/or LED socket.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a thermally conductive housing; a movable LED assembly including an LED light emitting element and a compressive element, the operation of the compressive element moving from a first position to a second position generating a compressive force such that the LED assembly becomes thermally and electrically connected with the housing.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an LED assembly for a lighting device assembly having a thermally conductive housing, a socket attached to the housing, and a first engagement member, the LED assembly comprising: an LED light emitting element; an elastic member; and a second engagement member adapted to engage with the first engagement member; the operation of moving the LED assembly and the socket relative to each other from the aligned position to the engaged position causes the first engagement member to engage the second engagement member and the resilient member to generate a compressive force to reduce thermal impedance between the LED assembly and the housing.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a lighting device package, the method including forming an LED package including an LED light emitting element and a first joining member; forming a socket attached to the thermally conductive housing, the socket including a second engagement member adapted to engage with the first engagement member; and moving the LED assembly and the socket relative to each other from the aligned position to the engaged position such that the first engagement member engages the second engagement member to generate a compressive force that establishes electrical and thermal contact between the LED assembly and the device housing.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a lighting device assembly comprising a thermally conductive housing; a socket attached to the housing and including a first engagement member; and an LED assembly comprising: an LED light emitting element; an elastic member; and a second engagement member adapted to engage with the first engagement member; the LED assembly and the socket are movable relative to each other from an aligned position to an engaged position; in the engaged position, the first engagement member engages the second engagement member and securely positions the LED assembly relative to the socket; and in the engaged position, the resilient member generates a compressive force that forms electrical and thermal contact between the LED assembly and the housing.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a removable LED assembly for use in a lighting fixture assembly having a thermally conductive housing. The movable LED assembly includes an LED light emitting element and a thermally conductive interface member coupled to the LED light emitting element and configured to resiliently contact the thermally conductive housing when the LED assembly is coupled with the socket of the lighting device assembly. The movable LED assembly also includes a resilient member operatively coupled with the thermally conductive interface member and configured to move from a first position to a second position to generate a compressive force between the thermally conductive interface member and the thermally conductive housing such that the LED assembly becomes thermally connected with the housing.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an LED assembly removably coupled to a lighting fixture assembly, the lighting fixture assembly having a thermally conductive housing with a socket and a first engagement member. The LED assembly includes an LED light emitting element, a resilient member operatively coupled to the LED light emitting element, and a second engagement member adapted to detachably engage the first engagement member to detachably couple the LED assembly to the housing. Engagement of the first and second engagement members causes the resilient member to move from an uncompressed state to a compressed state to generate a compressive force to form thermal contact between the LED assembly and the housing.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a lighting device package. The lighting device assembly includes a thermally conductive housing, and an LED assembly removably coupled to the socket of the thermally conductive housing, the LED assembly including an LED light emitting element. The lighting device assembly also includes a compression element configured to move from a first position to a second position to generate a compressive force between the LED assembly and the thermally conductive housing such that the LED assembly becomes thermally coupled to the housing.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a lighting device package. The lighting device assembly includes a thermally conductive housing, a socket attached to the housing and including a first engagement member, and an LED assembly. The LED assembly includes an LED light emitting element, a resilient member operatively coupled to the LED light emitting element, and a second engagement member adapted to engage with the first engagement member. The LED assembly and the socket are movable relative to each other from an unengaged position in which the first engagement member engages the second engagement member and securely positions the LED assembly relative to the socket to an engaged position in which the resilient member generates a compressive force to form a thermal contact between the LED assembly and the housing.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an LED assembly for a lighting device assembly having a thermally conductive housing, a socket attached to the housing and a first engagement member. The LED assembly includes an LED light emitting element and a second engagement member adapted to engage with the first engagement member. Operation of the LED assembly and socket relative to each other from an aligned position to an engaged position causes the first engagement member to engage the second engagement member, and at least one of the first and second engagement members to deform to generate a compressive force to form thermal contact between the LED assembly and the housing.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an LED assembly for a lighting device assembly having a thermally conductive housing, a socket attached to the housing and a first engagement member. The LED assembly includes an LED light emitting element and a second engagement member adapted to engage with the first engagement member. Operation of the LED assembly and socket relative to each other from an aligned position to an engaged position causes the first engagement member to engage the second engagement member, and at least one of the first and second engagement members to deform to generate a compressive force to reduce thermal impedance between the LED assembly and the housing.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lighting device assembly comprising a thermally conductive housing, a socket attached to the housing and comprising a first threaded portion, and an LED assembly. The LED assembly includes an LED light emitting element and a second threaded portion, the LED assembly and the socket being movable relative to each other from an unengaged position to an engaged position in which the first and second threaded portions are detachably coupled to each other to securely position the LED assembly relative to the socket.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a lighting device assembly comprising a thermally conductive housing, a socket attached to the housing and comprising a clasp, and an LED assembly. The LED assembly includes an LED light emitting element and a clasp, the LED assembly and the socket being movable relative to each other from an unengaged position to an engaged position in which the clasp and clasp are detachably coupled to each other to securely position the LED assembly relative to the socket.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method of assembling a lighting device. The method includes aligning an LED assembly having an LED light emitting element with a socket of a housing, and moving the LED assembly and the socket relative to each other to detachably engage a first engagement member of the socket with a second engagement member of the LED assembly to cause a resilient member of the LED assembly to move from an uncompressed state to a compressed state, thereby creating a compressive force between the housing and the LED assembly, establishing thermal contact between the LED assembly and the housing.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments in accordance with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lighting device package according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an LED assembly of the lighting device assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of a second housing of the LED assembly of FIG. 2;

fig. 4 is a perspective view of a socket of the lighting device assembly of fig. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the socket showing movement of the engagement member of the LED assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6A is a side view of the LED assembly of FIG. 2 in a compressed state;

FIG. 6B is a side view of the LED assembly of FIG. 2 in an uncompressed state;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the LED socket of FIG. 4;

8A-8B are cross-sectional views of the lighting device assembly of FIG. 1;

fig. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the lighting device assembly of fig. 1;

fig. 10 is a perspective view of the lighting device assembly of fig. 1;

fig. 11 is a front view of a lighting device package according to a second embodiment;

fig. 12 is a front view of a lighting device package according to a third embodiment;

fig. 13 is a front view of a lighting device package according to a fourth embodiment; and

fig. 14 is a front view of a lighting device package according to a fifth embodiment.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments in accordance with the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. It will be apparent, however, that the embodiments shown in the drawings are not intended to be limiting and that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lighting device package 10 according to the present invention. The lighting device package 10 includes a front cover 100, an LED package 200, a socket 300, and a thermally conductive housing 400.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the LED assembly 200. The LED assembly 200 may include a reflector or lens 210; a first case 220, a light emitting element such as an LED 230; a thermally conductive material 240; a printed circuit board 250; a second case 260; a thermally conductive interface member 270, and a thermal pad 280.

The first housing 220 can include an opening 221 adapted to receive the lens 210, and the lens 210 can be secured to the first housing 220 by a lens attachment member 222. The first housing 220 may also include one or more airflow apertures 225 such that air may pass through the airflow apertures 225 and ventilate the printed circuit board 250, the LEDs 230, and the thermally conductive housing 400. The first shell 220 may also include one or more engagement members 223, such as protrusions, on its outer surface 224. Although the engagement members 223 in this embodiment are shown as "T-shaped" protrusions, the engagement members 223 may have various shapes and may be located at various locations of the LED assembly 200 and/or on various surfaces of the LED assembly 200. Further, the number of the engaging members 223 is not limited to the embodiment shown in fig. 2. Additionally, the number, shape, and/or location of the air holes 225 may also vary. However, in some applications, ventilation is not necessary, and thus the airflow aperture 225 may be omitted.

The second case 260 may include an elastic member, such as an elastic rib 263. The thickness and width of the ribs 263 may be adjusted to increase or decrease the pressure, and the size and/or shape of the openings between the ribs 263 may vary. In one embodiment, the elastic rib 263 may have a forked-bar shape. The ribs 263 within the second shell 260 are formed to provide suitable resistance to create compression for thermally coupling the LED assembly 200 to the thermally conductive housing 400. The second shell 260 may also include one or more positioning elements 264 that engage with one or more recesses 251 in the printed circuit board 250 to properly position the printed circuit board 250 and to keep the printed circuit board 250 captive between the first shell 220 and the second shell 260. The positioning element 264 may also engage a plurality of receivers (not shown) in the first shell 220. The first and second cases 220 and 260 may be made of a plastic or resin material, such as polybutylene terephthalate, for example.

As shown in fig. 2, the second shell 260 may also include an opening 261 adapted to receive a thermally conductive interface member 270, which thermally conductive interface member 270 may be secured to (1) the second shell 260 and (2) a heat sink pad 280 via one or more attachment members 262, such as screws or other well-known fasteners, to create a thermally conductive interface member assembly 299. The thermal interface member 270 may include an upper portion 271 and a lower portion 272, the lower portion 272 having a circumference that is smaller than a circumference of the upper portion 271. As shown in fig. 3, the lower portion 272 may be inserted into the opening 261 of the second housing 260 such that the upper portion 271 engages the second housing 260. For example, the second shell260 may be made of nylon and/or a thermally conductive plastic, such as nylon and/or nylonWell known as plastics made by Cool Polymers, inc.

Referring now to fig. 2, heat sink pad 280 may be attached to thermally conductive interface member 270 by an adhesive or any other suitable known fastener to fill in microscopic gaps and/or small holes between the surface of thermally conductive interface member 270 and thermally conductive housing 400. The thermal PAD 280 may be any of a variety of commercially available thermal PADs, such as, for example, a Q-PAD 3 bonded backplane manufactured by the Bergquist company. Although a thermal pad 280 is used in this embodiment, it may be omitted in some embodiments.

As shown in fig. 2, the lower portion 272 of the thermally conductive interface member 270 may be used to position the LEDs 230 in the LED assembly 200. The LED230 may be mounted to the surface 273 of the lower portion 272 using fasteners 231, which fasteners 231 may be screws or other known fasteners. Thermally conductive material 40 may be located between LED230 and surface 273.

During the manufacturing process, the machining of both the surface 273 and the bottom surface of the LED230 may leave small imperfections in these surfaces, forming voids. These voids may be relatively small in size, but may act as an impedance to thermal conduction between the bottom surface of the LED230 and the surface 273 of the thermally conductive interface 270. Thermally conductive material 40 may be used to fill these voids to reduce the thermal impedance between LED230 and surface 273, resulting in improved thermal conductivity. Further, according to the present invention, the heat conductive material 40 may be a phase change material that can change from a solid to a liquid at a predetermined temperature, thereby improving the gap filling property of the heat conductive material 240. For example, the thermally conductive material 240 may include a phase change material designed to change from an object to a liquid at 55 ℃, such as, for example, Hi-Flow 225UT 003-01 manufactured by Bergquist, Inc.

Although in this embodiment, the thermally conductive interface member 270 may be made of aluminum and is shown as resembling a "top hat" shape, various other shapes, sizes, and/or materials can also be used for the thermally conductive interface member to transport and/or spread heat. As one example, the thermal interface member 270 may resemble a "pancake" shape and have a single circumference. Furthermore, the thermal interface member 270 need not be used to position the LEDs 230 within the LED assembly 200. Additionally, although the LED230 is shown mounted to the substrate 238, the LED230 need not be mounted to the substrate 238 but may be directly mounted to the thermally conductive interface member 270. The LED230 may be any suitable commercially available single or multiple LED chip, such as, for example, an OSTAR 6-LED chip with an output of 400-.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a socket 300 including one or more engagement members, such as angled slots 310, disposed on an inner surface 320 of the LED socket 300. The slot 310 includes a receiving portion 311 that receives each of the engagement members of the first housing 220 at the aligned position and is engageable with each of the engagement members 223, extends circumferentially around a portion of a perimeter of the LED socket 300 and is adapted to secure the LED assembly 200 to the LED socket 300, and a stop portion 313. In some embodiments, the stop 313 may include a protrusion (not shown) that is also suitable for the connection that secures the LED assembly 200 to the LED socket 300. The slot 310 may include a slight recess 314 that serves as a locking mechanism for the engagement member 223. The receptacle 300 may also include a bezel retaining mechanism 330 (shown in fig. 1 and 10) adapted to engage the bezel engaging member 101 in the bezel 100. A front cover retaining mechanism lock 331 (fig. 5) is provided to retain the front cover 100 in place when the front cover retaining mechanism 330 is engaged with the front cover engaging member 101 and rotated relative to the front cover engaging member 101. The socket 300 may be fastened to the thermally conductive housing 400 by a retaining member such as the retaining member 340 using various well-known fasteners such as screws or the like. The socket 300 may also have a threaded outer surface that engages threads in the thermally conductive housing 400. Alternatively, the socket 300 need not be a separate element attached to the thermally conductive housing 400, but it may also be integrally formed in the thermally conductive housing 400 itself. Additionally, as shown in fig. 7, the receptacle 300 may also include a tray 350 that holds terminal bricks 360, such as battery terminal connectors.

Referring now to fig. 5, to position the LED assembly 200 within the receptacle 300, the LED assembly 200 is in an aligned position with the engagement members 223 of the LED assembly 200 aligned with the receptacles 311 of the corner slots 310 of the receptacle 300. In one embodiment, the LED assembly 200 and the socket 300 may have a circular perimeter such that the LED assembly 200 may be rotated relative to the socket 300 in the direction of arrow a in fig. 4. As the LED assembly 200 is rotated, the engagement member 223 moves down the receiving portion 311 into the lower portion 312 of the angular slot 310 until the engagement member 223 encounters the stop 313, which limits further rotation and/or compression of the LED assembly 200, thereby placing the LED assembly 200 and the receptacle 300 in the engaged position, as shown in fig. 5.

Referring now to fig. 6A and 6B, the second shell 260 is shown in a compressed and uncompressed state, respectively. Rotation of the LED assembly 200, and compression of the engagement members 223 on the upper surface 314 of the angular groove 310 causes the resilient ribs 263 of the second shell 260 to deform axially inwardly, which may reduce the height Hc of the LED assembly 200 relative to the height Hu of the LED assembly 200 in an uncompressed state. Referring back to fig. 5, as the engagement member 223 descends deeper down the angular groove 310, the compressive force generated by the elastic rib 263 increases. This compressive force reduces the thermal impedance between the LED assembly 200 and the thermally conductive housing 400. In this way, the engagement members 223 and the corner slots 310 form compression elements.

Fig. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a lighting device assembly showing the LED assembly 200 in a compressed state in which the LED assembly 200 is thermally and electrically connected to the thermally conductive housing 400. As shown in fig. 6B, if the LED assembly 200 is removed from the socket 300, the resilient ribs 263 will generally return to their original undeformed state.

Additionally, as shown in fig. 8A and 8B, rotation of the LED assembly 200 causes the printed circuit board electrical contact bars 252 on the printed circuit board 250 to become engaged with the electrical contacts 361 of the termination block 360, thereby establishing an electrical connection between the LED assembly 200 and the electrical contacts 361 of the housing 400 so that operating power can be provided to the LEDs 230. Alternative mechanisms may also be provided to provide operating power to the LEDs 230. For example, the LED assembly 200 may include an electrical connector, such as a female connector for receiving a power cord from the housing 400 or spring voltage contacts mounted to the LED assembly 200 or the housing 400.

As shown in fig. 7, although in this embodiment the receiving portions 311 of the angular groove 310 are the same size, the receiving portions 311, the angular groove 310 and/or the engagement member 223 may be different sizes or different shapes. For example, the receptacle 311 may be sized to receive a larger engagement member 223 such that the LED assembly 200 may only be inserted into the receptacle 300 at a particular location. In addition, the location and number of corner slots 310 are not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

Further, while the above-described embodiments use corner slots, other types of engagement mechanisms between the LED assembly 200 and the LED socket 300 may be used in other embodiments to establish thermal and electrical connections between the LED assembly 200 and the thermally conductive housing 400.

As shown in fig. 11, in a second embodiment of the lighting device assembly, the LED assembly 230 may be mounted to a thermal interface member 270, the thermal interface member 270 may include a male threaded portion 232, the male threaded portion 232 having a first button-type electrical contact 233 insulated from the threaded portion 232. For example, the male thread 232 of the thermal interface member 270 may be rotatably engaged with the female thread 332 of the socket 300 such that one or both of the male thread 232 and the female thread 332 deform slightly to generate a compressive force such that the first electrical contact 233 contacts the second button-type electrical contact 333 and the thermal impedance between the thermal interface member 270 and the housing 400 is reduced. A heat sink pad 280 having a circular central cutout may be provided at an end of the male screw portion 232. The thermal pad 280 may have resilient characteristics such that the resilient thermally conductive interface pad 280 acts as a spring to create or enhance a compressive force to reduce the thermal impedance between the thermally conductive interface member 270 and the housing 400. The male and female portions 232, 332 thus form compression elements.

As shown in fig. 12, in a third embodiment of the lighting device assembly, a resilient thermally conductive interface pad 500 may be provided at an end of the thermally conductive interface member 270 such that the resilient thermally conductive interface pad 500 acts to generate a compressive force for low thermal impedance coupling. The socket 300 may include a protrusion 395 that engages a slot in the thermal interface member 270 to form a compression element and create additional compression and lock the LED assembly in place.

As shown in fig. 13, in a fourth embodiment of the lighting device package, the thermally conductive interface member 270 may have a snap 255 that engages with a snap 355 on the thermally conductive housing 400, thus forming a compression element. As shown in fig. 14, in a fifth embodiment of the lighting device assembly, a fastener, such as a screw 265, may be attached to a portion 365 of the heat dissipation apparatus housing 400 to form a compressive element and generate a suitable compressive force to provide a low resistance thermal coupling between the thermally conductive interface member 270 and the thermally conductive housing 400.

Referring back to fig. 1, after the LED assembly 200 is positioned within the thermally conductive housing 400, the front cover 100 may be attached to the socket 300 by engaging the front cover engagement member 101 on the front cover 100 with the front cover retention mechanism 330 and rotating the front cover 100 relative to the socket 300 to secure the front cover 100 in place. The front cover 100 may include a main hole 102 formed at a central portion of the cover 100, a transparent member such as a lens 104 formed in the hole 102, and a plurality of peripheral holes 106 formed on a periphery of the front cover 100. The lens 104 allows light emitted from the light emitting element to pass through the cover 100 while also protecting the light emitting element from external interference. The lens 102 may be made of any suitable transparent material that allows light to pass through with minimal reflection or scattering.

As shown in fig. 1, according to the present invention, the front cover 100, the LED assembly 200, the socket 300 and the thermally conductive housing 400 may be made of a material having a thermal conductivity k of at least 12W/m-k, preferably at least 200W/m-k, such as, for example, aluminum, copper or a thermally conductive plastic. The front cover 100, the LED assembly 200, the socket 300 and the thermally conductive housing 400 may be made of the same material or may be made of different materials. The peripheral holes 106 may be formed equidistantly on the periphery of the front cover 100 and expose a portion along the entire periphery of the front cover 100. Although a plurality of peripheral apertures 106 are shown, one or more peripheral apertures 106 may be used, or none at all, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The purpose of the peripheral apertures 106 is to allow air to flow through the front cover 100, into and around the LED assembly 200, and through air holes in the thermally conductive housing 400 to dissipate heat, according to embodiments of the present invention.

Additionally, as shown in fig. 1, the peripheral apertures 106 may be used to allow light emitted from the LEDs 230 to pass through the peripheral apertures 106 to provide a halo illumination effect on the front cover 100. The thermally conductive housing 400 may be made from an extrusion comprising a plurality of surface area enhancing structures, such as ridges 402 (shown in fig. 1), which is co-pending U.S. patent application No.11/715,071, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The ridges 402 may serve multiple purposes. For example, the ridges 402 may provide a heat dissipation surface to increase the overall surface area of the thermally conductive housing 400, providing more surface area for heat dissipation to the surrounding atmosphere. That is, the ridges 402 may cause the thermally conductive housing 400 to act as an effective heat sink for the lighting device assembly. In addition, the ridges 402 may be formed in any of a variety of shapes and forms so that the thermally conductive housing 400 is aesthetically pleasing. That is, the ridges 402 may be formed such that the thermally conductive housing 400 is shaped as a decorative extrusion having an aesthetic effect. However, the thermally conductive housing 400 may be formed in a number of other shapes to serve not only as a decorative feature of the lighting device assembly, but also as a heat sink to cool the LEDs 230.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

Claims (28)

1. A removable LED assembly for use in a lighting fixture assembly having a thermally conductive housing, comprising:

an LED light emitting element;

a thermally conductive interface member coupled with the LED light emitting element and configured to resiliently contact the thermally conductive housing when the LED assembly is coupled to a socket of the lighting fixture assembly; and

a resilient member operatively coupled with the thermally conductive interface and configured to move from a first position to a second position to generate a compressive force between the thermally conductive interface member and the thermally conductive housing such that the LED assembly becomes thermally connected with the housing.

2. An LED assembly movably coupled to a lighting fixture assembly having a thermally conductive housing with a socket and a first engagement member, the LED assembly comprising:

an LED light emitting element;

a resilient member operatively coupled to the LED light emitting element; and

a second engagement member adapted to detachably engage with the first engagement member to detachably couple the LED assembly to the housing,

wherein engagement of the first and second engagement members causes the resilient member to move from an uncompressed state to a compressed state to generate a compressive force to form thermal contact between the LED assembly and the housing.

3. A lighting device package, comprising:

a thermally conductive housing;

an LED assembly movably coupled to the socket of the thermally conductive housing, the LED assembly comprising:

an LED light emitting element; and

a compression element configured to move from a first position to a second position to generate a compressive force between the LED assembly and the thermally conductive housing such that the LED assembly becomes thermally connected with the housing.

4. A lighting device package, comprising:

a thermally conductive housing;

a socket attached to the housing and including a first engagement member; and

an LED assembly, the LED assembly comprising:

an LED light emitting element;

a resilient member operatively coupled to the LED light emitting element; and

a second engagement member adapted to engage with the first engagement member,

the LED assembly and the socket are movable relative to each other from an unengaged position to an engaged position;

in the engaged position, the first engagement member engages the second engagement member and securely positions the LED assembly relative to the socket; and

in the engaged position, the resilient member generates a compressive force that forms a thermal contact between the LED assembly and the housing.

5. An LED assembly for a lighting fixture assembly having a thermally conductive housing, a socket attached to the housing, and a first engagement member, the LED assembly comprising:

an LED light emitting element; and

a second engagement member adapted to engage with the first engagement member,

operation of the LED assembly and socket relative to each other from an aligned position to an engaged position causes:

the first engagement member engages the second engagement member; and

at least one of the first and second engagement members deforms to generate a compressive force to form thermal contact between the LED assembly and the housing.

6. An LED assembly for a lighting fixture assembly having a thermally conductive housing, a socket attached to the housing, and a first engagement member, the LED assembly comprising:

an LED light emitting element; and

a second engagement member adapted to engage with the first engagement member,

operation of the LED assembly and socket relative to each other from an aligned position to an engaged position causes:

the first engagement member engages the second engagement member; and

at least one of the first and second engagement members deforms to generate a compressive force to reduce thermal impedance between the LED assembly and the housing.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the LED light element is in indirect contact with the thermally conductive interface member.

8. The assembly of claim 1 or 7, wherein the thermally conductive interface member includes a first portion having a first perimeter and a second portion having a second perimeter, the second perimeter being less than the first perimeter.

9. The assembly of any of claims 1, 7 and 8, wherein the thermally conductive interface member comprises a phase change material.

10. The assembly of any of claims 1 and 7-9, wherein the thermally conductive interface member is disposed between the LED assembly and the housing, the thermally conductive interface member configured to provide a path for thermal energy between the LED light emitting element and the housing when the LED assembly is coupled to the housing.

11. The assembly of any of claims 1, 2 and 4, wherein the resilient member comprises a plurality of resilient, radially outwardly extending deformable ribs.

12. The assembly of any of claims 1, 2, 4 and 11, wherein the resilient member has a generally wishbone shape.

13. The assembly of any one of claims 2, 4, 5 and 6, wherein the first engagement member comprises a protrusion and the second engagement member comprises a slot detachably engageable with the protrusion, wherein rotation of the LED assembly relative to the housing causes the protrusion to move along the slot and the resilient member to deform to create a compressive force between the LED assembly and the housing.

14. The assembly of any one of claims 1-13, comprising a connecting member for removably supplying load power to the LED lighting element.

15. The assembly of any one of claims 1-14, including a resilient conductive member mounted to at least one of the LED assembly and the housing, the compressive force causing the LED to become electrically connected with the housing.

16. The assembly of any one of claims 1-15, further comprising a printed circuit board electrically connected to the LED lighting element and configured to control operation of the LED lighting element.

17. The assembly of any one of claims 1-16, further comprising one or more electrical contact members on the LED assembly configured to contact electrical contacts on the housing when the LED assembly is coupled with the housing to provide an electrical connection between the LED assembly and the housing.

18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the electrical contact member is an electrical contact strip or pad.

19. An assembly as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the electrical contacts on the housing comprise electrical contacts of a socket of the housing.

20. The assembly of any one of claims 1-19, further comprising a thermally conductive substrate supporting the LED light emitting element.

21. The assembly of any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the receptacle includes a front cover retaining mechanism adapted to engage with a front cover engagement member on a front cover of the housing.

22. A lighting device package, comprising:

a thermally conductive housing;

a socket attached to the housing and including a first threaded portion; and

an LED assembly, comprising:

an LED light emitting element; and

the second threaded portion is provided with a second threaded portion,

the LED assembly and the socket are movable relative to each other from an unengaged position to an engaged position in which the first and second threaded portions are detachably coupled to each other to securely position the LED assembly relative to the socket.

23. The lighting device package of claim 22 wherein the threaded coupling of the first and second threaded portions creates a compressive force between the LED package and the housing.

24. A lighting device package, comprising:

a thermally conductive housing;

a socket attached to the housing and including a clasp; and

an LED assembly, comprising:

an LED light emitting element; and

the card is buckled, and the card is buckled,

the LED assembly and the socket are movable relative to each other from an unengaged position to an engaged position in which the clasp and clasp are detachably coupled to each other to securely position the LED assembly relative to the socket.

25. The lighting device assembly of claim 24 wherein the coupling of the clasp and the clasp creates a compressive force between the LED assembly and the housing.

26. A method of assembling a lighting device, comprising:

aligning an LED assembly having an LED light emitting element with a socket of a housing, an

Moving the LED assembly and the socket relative to each other to detachably engage the first engagement member of the socket with the second engagement member of the LED assembly such that the resilient member of the LED assembly moves from an uncompressed state to a compressed state, thereby creating a compressive force between the housing and the LED assembly, thereby establishing thermal contact between the LED assembly and the housing.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the moving comprises rotating the LED assembly relative to the socket.

28. The method of claim 26 or 27, wherein moving the LED assembly and the socket relative to each other further comprises detachably engaging one or more electrical contact strips of the LED assembly with electrical contact members on the socket to establish an electrical connection between the LED assembly and the housing.