Abstract:
A luminaire includes a light fixture having an opening, at least one LED positioned within the light fixture to emit light through the opening, and a fan configured to cool said at least one LED.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present disclosure relates to light emitting devices, and more particularly to light emitting diode luminaires. 
     2. Background 
     Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are attractive candidates for replacing conventional light sources such as incandescent and fluorescent lamps. LEDs have substantially higher light conversion efficiencies than incandescent lamps and longer lifetimes than both types of conventional light sources. In addition, some types of LEDs now have higher conversion efficiencies than fluorescent light sources and still higher conversion efficiencies have been demonstrated in the laboratory. 
     Despite the advantages of using LEDs as light sources, consumer acceptance will depend, at least in part, on the adaptability of these sources into light fixtures currently using conventional light sources (i.e., incandescent or fluorescent lamps). LED light sources designed for direct replacement of conventional light sources could be instrumental in accelerating consumer acceptance, and thereby, revolutionize the lighting industry. Unfortunately, there exists significant challenges in designing LED light sources that directly replace existing light sources, such as incandescent light bulb for example. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect of the disclosure, a luminaire includes a light fixture having an opening, at least one LED positioned within the light fixture to emit light through the opening, and a solid-state fan positioned within the light fixture to directly cool said at least one LED. 
     In another aspect of the disclosure, a luminaire includes at least one LED configured to emit light, a light fixture containing said at least one LED, wherein the light fixture comprises an opening configured to pass the light emitted from said at least one LED, and a solid-state fan positioned within the light fixture to directly cool said at least one LED. 
     In yet another aspect of the disclosure, a luminaire includes a light fixture having an opening, at least one LED positioned within the light fixture to emit light through the opening, wherein said at least one LED is not in thermal contact with a heat sink, and a solid-state fan positioned within the light fixture to cool said at least one LED. 
     In a further aspect of the disclosure, a luminaire includes a light fixture having an opening, at least one LED positioned within the light fixture to emit light through the opening, and a fan positioned within the light fixture to directly cool said at least one LED, wherein the fan contains no moving parts. 
     It is understood that other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only exemplary configurations of an LED by way of illustration. As will be realized, the present invention includes other and different aspects and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and the detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Various aspects of the present invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a conceptual cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an LED; 
         FIG. 2  is a conceptual cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an LED with a phosphor layer; 
         FIG. 3A  is a conceptual top view illustrating an example of an LED array; 
         FIG. 3B  is a conceptual cross-sectional view of the LED array of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a conceptual top view illustrating an example of an alternative configuration of an LED array; 
         FIG. 4B  is a conceptual cross-sectional view of the LED array of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 5  is a conceptual side view of an LED luminaire; and 
         FIG. 6  is a conceptual side view of an LED luminaire for recessed lighting applications. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various aspects of the present invention are shown. This invention, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the various aspects of the present invention presented throughout this disclosure. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. The various aspects of the present invention illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn to scale. Rather, the dimensions of the various features may be expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some of the drawings may be simplified for clarity. Thus, the drawings may not depict all of the components of a given apparatus (e.g., device) or method. 
     Various aspects of the present invention will be described herein with reference to drawings that are schematic illustrations of idealized configurations of the present invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, the various aspects of the present invention presented throughout this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of elements (e.g., regions, layers, sections, substrates, etc.) illustrated and described herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. By way of example, an element illustrated or described as a rectangle may have rounded or curved features and/or a gradient concentration at its edges rather than a discrete change from one element to another. Thus, the elements illustrated in the drawings are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of an element and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     It will be understood that when an element such as a region, layer, section, substrate, or the like, is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will be further understood that when an element is referred to as being “formed” on another element, it can be grown, deposited, etched, attached, connected, coupled, or otherwise prepared or fabricated on the other element or an intervening element. 
     Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or “top,” may be used herein to describe one element&#39;s relationship to another element as illustrated in the drawings. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of an apparatus in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. By way of example, if an apparatus in the drawings is turned over, elements described as being on the “lower” side of other elements would then be oriented on the “upper” side of the other elements. The term “lower”, can therefore, encompass both an orientation of “lower” and “upper,” depending of the particular orientation of the apparatus. Similarly, if an apparatus in the drawing is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above” the other elements. The terms “below” or “beneath” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of above and below. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure. 
     As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Various aspects of an LED luminaire will now be presented. However, as those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, these aspects may be extended to aspects of LED luminaries without departing from the invention. The LED luminaire may be configured as a direct replacement for conventional luminaries, including, by way of example, recessed lights, surface-mounted lights, pendant lights, sconces, cove lights, track lighting, under-cabinet lights, landscape or outdoor lights, flood lights, search lights, street lights, strobe lights, bay lights, strip lights, industrial lights, emergency lights, balanced arm lamps, accent lights, background lights, and other light fixtures. 
     As used herein, the term “luminaire” shall mean a light fixture with a light source. The term “light fixture” shall include all components of the luminaire other than the light source (e.g., a shell or housing, a fan for cooling the light source, a reflector for directing the light, etc.). The term “LED luminaire” shall mean a luminaire with a light source comprising one or more LEDs. LEDs are well known in the art, and therefore, will only briefly be discussed to provide a complete description of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a conceptual cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an LED. An LED is a semiconductor material impregnated, or doped, with impurities. These impurities add “electrons” and “holes” to the semiconductor, which can move in the material relatively freely. Depending on the kind of impurity, a doped region of the semiconductor can have predominantly electrons or holes, and is referred respectively as n-type or p-type semiconductor regions. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the LED  100  includes an n-type semiconductor region  104  and a p-type semiconductor region  108 . A reverse electric field is created at the junction between the two regions, which cause the electrons and holes to move away from the junction to form an active region  106 . When a forward voltage sufficient to overcome the reverse electric field is applied across the p-n junction through a pair of electrodes  110 ,  112 , electrons and holes are forced into the active region  106  and recombine. When electrons recombine with holes, they fall to lower energy levels and release energy in the form of light. 
     In this example, the n-type semiconductor region  104  is formed on a substrate  102  and the p-type semiconductor region  108  is formed on the active layer  106 , however, the regions may be reversed. That is, the p-type semiconductor region  108  may be formed on the substrate  102  and the n-type semiconductor region  104  may formed on the active layer  106 . As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, the various concepts described throughout this disclosure may be extended to any suitable layered structure. Additional layers or regions (not shown) may also be included in the LED  100 , including but not limited to buffer, nucleation, contact and current spreading layers or regions, as well as light extraction layers. 
     The p-type semiconductor region  108  is exposed at the top surface, and therefore, the p-type electrode  112  may be readily formed thereon. However, the n-type semiconductor region  104  is buried beneath the p-type semiconductor layer  108  and the active layer  106 . Accordingly, to form the n-type electrode  110  on the n-type semiconductor region  104 , a cutout area or “mesa” is formed by removing a portion of the active layer  106  and the p-type semiconductor region  108  by means well known in the art to expose the n-type semiconductor layer  104  therebeneath. After this portion is removed, the n-type electrode  110  may be formed. 
       FIG. 2  is a conceptual cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a LED with a phosphor layer. In this example, a phosphor layer  202  is formed on the top surface of the LED  100  by means well known in the art. The phosphor layer  202  converts a portion of the light emitted by the LED  100  to light having a different spectrum from that emitted from the LED  100 . A white LED light source can be constructed by using an LED that emits light in the blue region of the spectrum and a phosphor that converts blue light to yellow light. A white light source is well suited as a replacement lamp for conventional luminaires; however, the invention may be practiced with other LED and phosphor combinations to produce different color lights. The phosphor layer  202  may include, by way of example, multiple or different phosphor types, phosphor particles suspended in a carrier or be constructed from a soluble phosphor that is dissolved in the carrier. 
     In a configuration of an LED luminaire, an LED array may be used to provide increased light.  FIG. 3A  is a conceptual top view illustrating an example of an LED array, and  FIG. 3B  is a conceptual cross-sectional view of the LED array of  FIG. 3A . In this example, a number of phosphor-coated LEDs  200  may be formed on a substrate  302  by means well known in the art. The bond wires (not shown) extending from the LEDs  200  may be connected to traces (not shown) on the surface of the substrate  302 , which connect the LEDs  200  in a parallel and/or series or series-parallel fashion. Typically, the LEDs  200  may be connected in parallel streams of series LEDs with a current limiting resistor (not shown) in each stream. The substrate  302  may be any suitable material that can provide support to the LEDs  200  and can be mounted within a light fixture (not shown). 
       FIG. 4A  is a conceptual top view illustrating an example of an alternative configuration of an LED array, and  FIG. 4B  is a conceptual cross-sectional view of the LED array of  FIG. 4A . In a manner similar to that described in connection with  FIGS. 3A and 3B , a substrate  302  designed for mounting in a light fixture (not shown) may be used to support an array of LEDs  100 . However, in this configuration, a phosphor layer is not formed on each individual LED. Instead, phosphor  406  is deposited within a cavity  402  bounded by an annular ring  404  that extends circumferentially around the outer surface of the substrate  302 . The annular ring  404  may be formed by boring a cylindrical hole in a material that forms the substrate  302 . Alternatively, the substrate  302  and the annular ring  404  may be formed with a suitable mold, or the annular ring  404  may be formed separately from the substrate  302  and attached to the substrate using an adhesive or other suitable means. In the latter configuration, the annular ring  404  is generally attached to the substrate  302  before the LEDs  100 , however, in some configurations, the LEDs  400  may be attached first. Once the LEDs  100  and the annular ring  404  are attached to the substrate  302 , a suspension of phosphor particles in a carrier may be introduced into the cavity  402 . The carrier material may be an epoxy or silicone, however, carriers based on other materials may also be used. The carrier material may be cured to produce a solid material in which the phosphor particles are immobilized. 
       FIG. 5  is a conceptual side view of an LED luminaire. The LED luminaire may include a light fixture  500 , which may include a shell  502  made out of a heat conductive material, such as aluminum, for example. The shell  502  is shown with a cylindrical shape for recessed lighting applications, but may be configured for other lighting applications such as surface-mounted lighting, pendant lighting, sconce lighting, cove lighting, track lighting, under-cabinet lighting, landscape or outdoor lightings, street lighting, industrial lighting, emergency lighting, desk lighting, background lighting, and other lighting applications. Those skilled in the art will be readily able to determine the appropriate construction of a shell for any particular application. 
     An LED array  504  is positioned within the light fixture  502 . The LED array  504  may take on various forms, including any one of the configurations discussed earlier in connection with  FIGS. 2-4 , or any other suitable configuration now known or developed in the future. Although an LED array is well suited for the LED luminaire, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the various concepts presented throughout this disclosure are not necessarily limited to array and may be extended to an LED luminaire with a single LED light source. 
     The light fixture  500  includes a base  506  for supporting a light source. The base  506  may be an integrated part of the shell  502 , or attached by any suitable means. A plate  508  anchored to the base  506  carries the LED array  504 . In one configuration of the LED luminaire, standoffs  510  extending from the plate  508  are used to separate the LED array  504  from the plate  508 . This configuration provides a means for mounting a fan  512  in the vicinity of the LED array  504 . The standoffs  510  may be non-conductive (e.g., plastic, ceramic) standoffs having conical heads that can be pushed through holes in the substrate of the LED array  504 . Alternatively, the standoffs  510  may be adhered to the LED array  504 , or alternatively, may include internal threads that allow the LED array  504  to be mounted with screws. Other ways to mount the LED array  504  will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings presented throughout this disclosure. The plate  508  may be constructed from any suitable insulting material, including by way of example, plastic, cardboard, or similar material. 
     The fan  512  may be a solid-state fan. A solid-state fan is a device used to produce airflow with no moving parts. Fundamentally, a solid-state fan uses an electric charge on a conductor to ionize air, which results in ionized air molecules having the same polarity of the electric charge on the conductor. The electrode repels the like-charged ion molecules creating an electric or ionic wind. A non-limiting example of a solid-state fan is the RSD5 fan developed by Thorrn Micro Technologies, Inc. The RSD5 uses a series of live wires that produce an ion rich gas with free electrons for conducting electricity. The wires lie within uncharged conducting plates that are contoured into a half-cylindrical shape to partially envelope the wires. Within the electric field that results, the ions push neutral air molecules from the wire to the plate, generating air flow. 
     The positioning of the fan  512  on the plate  508  provides a means for directly cooling the LED array  504 , thereby eliminating the need for a heat sink. As used herein, “directly” cooling means positioning the LED array  504  within the air flow generated by the fan  512 . In contrast, an LED array that is “indirectly” cooled by a fan means that a thermally conductive material, which is attached to the LED array, is arranged within the air flow generated by the fan. By way of example, a fan that is used to cool a heat sink for an LED array would be a form of indirect cooling. Although the fan  512  is mounted directly above the LED array  504 , the fan  512  may be located elsewhere in the light fixture  500  and still provide direct cooling of the LED array  504 . Those skilled in the art will be readily able to determine the location of the LED array  504  and the fan  512  best suited for any particular application based on the overall design parameters. 
     The light fixture  500  may include a small aperture for routing wires  516   a  and  516   b  from a power source (not shown) to the LED array  504  and fan  512 . In one configuration of the LED luminaire, the wires  516   a  and  516   b  may be routed from the power source to the LED array  504  through the plastic hollow standoffs  510  previously described. An AC-DC converter (not shown) may be used to generate a DC voltage from an AC power source generally found in a household, office building, or other facility. The DC voltage generated by the AC-DC converter may be provided to a driver circuit (not shown) configured to drive both the LED array  504  and the fan  512 . The AC-DC converter and the driver circuit may be located on the plate  508 , on the LED array  504 , or anywhere else in the light fixture  500 . In some applications, the AC-DC converter may not be needed. By way of example, the LED array  504  and the fan  512  may be designed for AC power. Alternatively, the power source may be DC, such as the case might be in automotive applications. The particular design of the power delivery circuit for any particular application is well within the capabilities of one skilled in the art. 
     The light fixture  500  may take on various forms depending upon the particular application. In recessed lighting applications, for example, the light fixture  500  may be designed for insulation contact (IC) or non-insulation contact. An example of a light fixture  602  for IC applications in a recessed ceiling is shown in  FIG. 6 . The light fixture  602  is constructed with an outer shell  602   a  and an inner wall  602   b . The inner wall  602   b  acts as a heat sink for the LED array  504 . The fan  512  is positioned in the proximity of a vent  614  in the inner wall  602   b , which enables air to flow in the gap between the two walls  602   a ,  602   b . The air flow thermally insulates the outer shell  602   a  from the heated inner wall  602   b , thereby protecting the insulation and other materials in the ceiling from heat and undesirable airflow. 
     The various aspects of this disclosure are provided to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the present invention. Various modifications to aspects presented throughout this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the concepts disclosed herein may be extended to other LED lamp configurations regardless of the shape or diameter of the glass, plastic or other enclosure and the base and the arrangement of electrical contacts on the lamp. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the various aspects of this disclosure, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”