Abstract:
A lamp heat sink includes a plurality of heat dissipating fins disposed around a body and extending away from the body. The lamp heat sink further comprises a heat dissipating circumferent skirt surrounding the body and disposed between the plurality of heat dissipating fins. The lamp heat sink further comprises a plurality of channels disposed around the body, formed by the plurality of heat dissipating fins and the heat dissipating circumferent skirt. The plurality of channels each include an intake opening configured to receive cold air and an exhaust opening configured to release warm air.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/643,621 filed on May 7, 2012, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to the field of light bulbs. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lamp heat sink. 
     BACKGROUND 
     An LED lamp consists of, among other components, a heat sink to help cool the lamp by dissipating emitted heat to the surrounding air. A heat sink helps ensure that the lamp operates properly, even at high temperatures. The amount of heat that a heat sink is able to dissipate depends on the surface area of a heat sink. The larger the surface area, the more heat a heat sink is able to dissipate. Increasing surface area, however, may increase the dimensions of the heat sink which may result in a larger a larger lamp. 
     Increasing the size of the lamp may not be desirable, however. When designing a retrofit LED lamp to replace an incandescent lamp, for example, it is desirable that the replacement lamp approximate or closely resemble a standard form factor of the incandescent lamp being replaced. Otherwise, the replacement lamp may not properly fit the application for which it was intended. Increasing the size of the heat sink may also result in increased costs of manufacturing the lamp. Thus, it may be desirable to increase the surface area of a heat sink without increasing the size of the heat sink and without increasing the cost of manufacturing the heat sink. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A lamp heat sink includes a plurality of heat dissipating fins disposed around a body and extending away from the body. The lamp heat sink further comprises a heat dissipating circumferent skirt surrounding the body and disposed between the plurality of heat dissipating fins. The lamp heat sink further comprises a plurality of channels disposed around the body, formed by the plurality of heat dissipating fins and the heat dissipating circumferent skirt. The plurality of channels each include an intake opening configured to receive cold air and an exhaust opening configured to release warm air. 
     A heat sink includes a plurality of heat dissipating fins disposed around a body and extending away from the body. The heat sink further includes a plurality of channels surrounding the body, the plurality of channels being defined by a plurality of heat dissipating inserts, disposed between the plurality of fins, parallel to the body. The heat sink further includes a plurality of intake openings configured to receive cold air in the plurality of channels. The heat sink further includes a plurality of exhaust openings configured to release warm air from the plurality of the channels. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the accompanying drawings, structures are illustrated that, together with the detailed description provided below, describe exemplary aspects of the present invention. Like elements are identified with the same reference numerals. It should be understood that elements shown as a single component may be replaced with multiple components, and elements shown as multiple components may be replaced with a single component. The drawings are not to scale and the proportion of certain elements may be exaggerated for the purpose of illustration. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lamp heat sink, according to one aspect of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the lamp heat sink of  FIG. 1 , according one aspect of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the heat sink of  FIG. 1 , according one aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lamp heat sink  100 , according to one aspect of the present invention.  FIGS. 2 and 3  are top and side views, respectively, of lamp heat sink  100  of  FIG. 1 . Lamp heat sink  100  includes a base  102  for making contact with and providing support for an LED assembly (not shown), or other similar light generating assembly. Lamp heat sink  100  is configured to dissipate heat and to help ensure a lamp, within which heat sink  100  is disposed, functions properly, even at high temperatures. Lamp heat sink  100  includes a bottom threaded portion  104  for coupling with a screw cap (not shown) or other similar hardware capable of forming an electrical connection. 
     Lamp heat sink  100  has a center body  114  below base  102  and also configured to dissipate heat. Fins  106  surround center body  114  of lamp heat sink  100 . Fins  106  protrude outward and away from center body  114  of lamp heat sink  100 . Fins  106  extend the height of lamp heat sink  100 , vertically from top to bottom of lamp heat sink  100 . In one example, fins  106  extend a partial height lamp heat sink  100 . 
     Heat sink  100  includes a circumferent skirt  108  to increase the surface area of the heat sink  100 . Specifically, heat sink  100  comprises additional material for dissipating heat, or cooling surface inserts between each vertical fin  106 , parallel to center body  114 . Although additional material is used, fins  106  still provide the shape and look of lamp heat sink  100 . In other words, circumferent skirt  108  does not affect the shape and look provided by the fins  106 . Thus, including circumferent skirt  108  increases the effective surface area of lamp heat sink  100  without increasing the physical overall size of lamp heat sink  100 . Circumference skirt  108 , and lamp heat sink  100 , can be plastic, thermo-plastic, metal, or other suitable material capable of dissipating heat. 
     In one aspect of the present disclosure, the circumferent skirt  108  is configured to be reflective. For example, circumferent skirt  108  comprises a material that reflects light or is coated with a material that reflects light. Additionally, circumferent skirt  108  may be configured at an angle that most efficiently reflects light in combination with a dome, bulb, or other cover (not shown), for example. Specifically, when a bulb is placed over lamp heat sink  100 , light emitted from an LED disposed on to lamp heat sink  100  may be reflected back towards lamp heat sink  100  by the inside of the over. Having a reflective circumferent skirt  108  incorporated into the fins  106  enables at least some of the light to be reflected back out towards the bulb which helps to better distribute light from the lamp. 
     In one aspect of the present disclosure, lamp heat sink  100  also has exhaust openings  110  and intake openings  112 . Exhaust openings  110  and intake openings  112  are defined by circumferent skirt  108 , center body  114  of lamp heat sink  100 , and fins  106 . Exhaust openings  110  are located around the top of lamp heat sink  100  while intake openings  112  are located around the center or bottom area of lamp heat sink  100 , depending on the length of circumference skirt  108 . Intake openings  112  and exhaust openings  110  improve the efficiency of lamp heat sink  100  by providing a number of pockets, or channels, around lamp heat sink  100  between fins  106  and circumferent skirt  108 , for allowing heated air to escape while allowing cool air to enter and pass through heat sink  100 . By means of convection, the warmer air is released through exhaust openings  110  which allows for cooler air to enter through intake openings  110 . Exhaust openings  110  in combination with the intake openings  112  create a chimney effect. 
     It should be understood that, although intake openings  112  are illustrated as being positioned near the bottom of lamp heat sink  100  while exhaust openings  110  are illustrated as being positioned near the top of lamp heat sink  100 , intake openings  112  and exhaust openings can be reversed such that the openings near the top of lamp heat sink  100  function as intake and the openings near the bottom of lamp heat sink  100  function as exhaust. 
     It should be further understood that, although circumferent skirt  108  is illustrated as extending vertically approximately half the length of fins  106 , circumferent skirt  108  may also be configured to be longer or shorter, depending on the heat dissipation requirements for a particular heat sink. For example, a longer circumferent skirt may provide for additional surface for absorbing heat without changing the overall shape of the heat sink. 
     It should be further understood that, although fins  106  are illustrated as being substantially linear, fins  106  may be non-linear as well. For example, fins  106  may be undulated, or wave-shaped (not shown). The undulations designed into each of the fins  106  further increases the effective surface area of lamp heat sink  100  without increasing the physical overall size of lap heat sink  100 . Fins  106  may also be other suitable, non-linear, forms that may similarly increase the effective surface area of lamp heat sink  100  without increasing the physical overall size of lamp heat sink  100 . 
     To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “or” is employed (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean “A or B or both.” When the applicants intend to indicate “only A or B but not both” then the term “only A or B but not both” will be employed. Thus, use of the term “or” herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. See, Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage 624 (2d. Ed. 1995). Also, to the extent that the terms “in” or “into” are used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to additionally mean “on” or “onto.” Furthermore, to the extent the term “connect” is used in the specification or claims, it is intended to mean not only “directly connected to,” but also “indirectly connected to” such as connected through another component or components. 
     While the present application has been illustrated by the description of aspects of the present disclosure thereof, and while the aspects of the present disclosure have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the application, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.