Patent Publication Number: US-9890945-B2

Title: Reflector and sealing assembly for lighting assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a lighting assembly having a reflector and a sealing device. In particular, the invention is directed to lighting assembly having reflector capable of forming a seal between the housing and transparent cover or lens of the lighting assembly. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Lighting assemblies are constructed to illuminate an area and typically include a housing and a lens, cover or other transparent or translucent member to protect the light source. Exterior lighting assemblies generally require waterproof or weatherproof enclosures to protect the internal components from water and dirt. Gaskets are often used in exterior lighting assemblies between the various components of the housing to protect the internal components. 
     Many of the current exterior lighting assemblies use LEDs as the light source. The LEDs are commonly mounted on a circuit board that is then mounted in a housing to enclose the circuit board. The housing requires a weatherproof enclosure to protect the circuit board from water and dirt. 
     Examples housing for use with LEDs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,267,544 to Zheng et al. discloses an LED lamp having a circuit board with a transparent cover. A sealing ring as shown in  FIG. 3  is received between the circuit board and the transparent cover to form a seal around the printed circuit board between the cover and the housing. The housing and the reflector do not appear to have a channel to receive the seal. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,292,449 to Poissonnet et al. discloses a modular lamp for underwater environments. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the lamp includes a housing supporting a circuit board and a plurality of LEDs. The housing includes a channel surrounding the circuit board for receiving a seal. The cover includes a frame that is attached to the housing to compress the seal to form a weatherproof seal around the circuit board. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,529,085 to Josefowicz et al. discloses an LED lighting fixture having a main body supporting a circuit board with a plurality of LEDs and a light transmitting cover. The housing has a recess in the housing surrounding the circuit board which forms a seal between the housing and the cover. 
     While the prior lighting assemblies have been generally suitable for the intended purpose, there is a continuing need in the industry for improved lighting devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a lighting assembly having a weatherproof enclosure. The invention is particularly directed to a lighting assembly for use with LEDs and a circuit board where the assembly includes a housing to enclose and support the LEDs and the circuit board and provide a weatherproof enclosure. 
     One object of the invention is to provide an enclosure for a lighting assembly having a reflector to direct light outwardly from the light source and where the reflector forms a weatherproof seal between the housing and the lens or light transmitting cover. 
     Another feature of the invention is to provide a lighting assembly that is economical to produce and easy to assemble while providing a weatherproof enclosure to protect the internal components during outside use. 
     The invention is particularly directed to a lighting assembly having a reflector where the reflector has a seal member on an outer surface for forming a seal between the reflector and the lens or light transmitting cover and a seal member on an inner surface for forming a seal between the reflector and the surface of the housing. 
     The housing of the lighting assembly is able to provide a weatherproof enclosure for the light source and drivers or other electrical components using the reflector to support the gasket member during assembly without the need to modify the housing or the lens to accommodate the seal member and the reflector. 
     The invention is suitable for a lighting assembly having an extruded or continuous molded metal housing that requires minimal machining after extrusion. The extruded housing has a substantially flat mounting surface for the LED array and circuit boards. The reflector is able to form a waterproof or weatherproof enclosure around the LED array and circuit board with the need to modify the housing. In other embodiments, other forms of housings and construction can be used. In one embodiment, the housing can be made from sheet metal that is cut and folded to the desired form. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the reflector has an outer surface with a channel surrounding the perimeter and a continuous gasket or seal member received in the recess to form a seal between the reflector and the inner surface of a lens. The bottom surface of the reflector has a continuous recess around the perimeter receiving a continuous seal member for forming a seal between the reflector and the outer face of the housing. 
     The reflector of the invention is a one-piece member having a continuous side wall that surrounds the light source. An inner face mates with the housing and an outer face mates with a light transmitting cover member to form a weatherproof seal around the light source. Typically the reflector is made of a molded plastic material. 
     These and other aspects and advantages of the invention are basically attained by providing a lighting assembly having a heat conducting housing with a top face for dissipating heat and a bottom face, a circuit board coupled to the housing, a light transmitting cover, and frame for coupling the light transmitting cover and the reflector to the housing. The circuit board having a plurality of LEDs mounted thereon is coupled to the bottom face of the housing to transfer heat to the base. The reflector has a central opening surrounding the circuit board and the LEDs for reflecting light away from the LEDs. The reflector has a bottom face with a continuous channel circumscribing a perimeter of the bottom face of the reflector and a top face with a continuous second channel circumscribing said perimeter of said reflector. A first continuous seal member is mounted in the first channel and surrounds the perimeter and the central opening to form a seal between the reflector and the housing. A second continuous seal member is mounted in the second channel and surrounds the perimeter and the central opening. A transparent cover is mounted to the housing to overlie the front face of the reflector so that the second seal member forms a seal between the reflector and the transparent cover. A reflector frame is coupled to the housing to attach the reflector and transparent cover to the housing. 
     The features of the invention are further attained by providing a lighting assembly having a housing, a reflector, a first seal member, a transparent cover, a second seal and the reflector frame. The housing has a mounting face with a circuit board coupled to the front face. The circuit board has a plurality of LEDs mounted thereon. The reflector is mounted to the mounting face of the housing and has an inner face contacting the mounting face of the housing and an outer face opposite the inner face, and a central opening extending between the outer face and the inner face to surround the LEDs. The first seal member surrounds the central opening and is positioned between the inner face of the reflector and the mounting face of the housing to form a weatherproof seal. The transparent cover overlies the outer face of the reflector and the central opening. The second seal is positioned between the transparent cover and the outer face of the reflector. The frame overlies the transparent cover and has a central opening aligned with the LEDs where the frame is coupled directly to the housing for coupling the reflector and cover to the housing and forming a weatherproof seal between the transparent cover and the frame. 
     The various features of the invention are further attained by providing a lighting assembly comprising a housing, a circuit board attached to the housing, a reflector, a light transmitting cover, and a frame. The housing is made from a heat conducting material and has a mounting face. The circuit board has a plurality of LEDs mounted thereon where the circuit board is coupled to the mounting face for transferring heat to the housing. The reflector is coupled to the mounting face of the housing and has a central opening for receiving the LEDs and an outer rim surrounding the central opening. An inner top face of the reflector contacts the mounting face of the housing to form a seal between the mounting face of the housing and the reflector. An outer bottom face of the reflector forms a seal between the outer bottom face of the reflector and the light transmitting cover. The light transmitting cover overlies the reflector and the LEDs. The frame has an inwardly extending flange with an inner edge forming a central opening and overlying an outer surface of the cover. An outwardly extending flange is coupled to the housing to couple the frame and cover to the housing. 
     These and other aspects, objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the annexed drawings and the following detailed description of the invention, which disclose various embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following is a brief description of the invention in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a bottom perspective view of the lighting assembly in one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the lighting assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the lighting assembly; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view in cross section of the lighting assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is cross-sectional view of the lighting assembly taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the side wall of the reflector and seal; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the lighting assembly taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the end wall of the reflector and seal. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a lighting assembly having a weatherproof enclosure. The invention is particularly directed to a lighting assembly for use with LEDs and a circuit board where the assembly includes a housing to enclose and support the LEDs and the circuit board and provide a weatherproof enclosure. 
     The lighting assembly in the embodiment shown is adapted for exterior use such as a floodlight to illuminate an area. The lighting assembly can be mounted to various supports and oriented to direct the light to a selected target area. 
     Referring to the drawings, the lighting assembly  10  includes a housing  12 , a reflector  14 , a transparent cover  16 , and a reflector frame  18 . The housing  12  is constructed for supporting a lighting source and for mounting to a support structure such as a pole for directing light to a selected area. 
     In the embodiment shown, the housing  12  has a top wall  20 , a bottom wall  22 , and opposite side walls  24 . The side walls  24  are provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending cooling fins  26  for dissipating heat and protecting the electrical components. In one embodiment of the invention, the fins  26  extend the length of the housing and project outwardly a distance to provide sufficient cooling and heat dissipation to prevent overheating of the electrical components. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the housing  12  has a hollow interior  28  for receiving various electrical components and drivers for the lighting assembly. End caps  30  are coupled to the opposite ends of the housing  12  to enclose the interior cavity  28  and the electrical components. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the end caps  30  are coupled to the longitudinal ends of the housing  12  by screws threaded into screw holes formed in the ends of the housing. An adjustable mounting bracket or yoke can be coupled to the end caps  30  to position the assembly with respect to a support and direct the light to a selected area. The top wall  20  has an opening  32  for accessing the interior cavity of the housing which is closed by a suitable cover (not shown). 
     In the embodiment shown, the housing  12  is preferably made of aluminum or other heat conducting material by extrusion molding process or other molding process as known in the art. The extrusion molded housing provides a cost effective means for producing the housing with various lengths and to form continuous longitudinal surfaces that extend the length of the housing. In other embodiments, the housing can be constructed from sheet metal or other materials as known in the art that are suitable for making a housing for an electrical lighting assembly. 
     The bottom wall  22  of the housing  12  in the embodiment shown has a substantially flat mounting surface  34 . The mounting surface  34  preferably extends the full-length and width of the bottom wall  22  and has a substantially planar surface area for supporting a lighting source. In the embodiment shown, the mounting surface  34  is substantially flat and planar corresponding to the dimensions of the bottom wall  22 . Openings  36  are provided at the opposite longitudinal ends of the mounting surface  34  for supplying electrical wires and connectors to the lighting source. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the longitudinal side edges of the bottom wall  22  include an outwardly extending cooling fin  38  that extends substantially perpendicular to the plane of the mounting surface  34 . 
     The lighting source  40  in the embodiment shown is a circuit board  42  having a plurality of LEDs  44  mounted thereon to form an array. A connector  46  is provided at the end of each of the circuit boards  42  for connecting the LEDs to a driver or power source mounted within the interior cavity  28  of the housing  12 . The LED drivers mounted within the housing can be a conventional driver an electrical components as known in the art for actuating the LEDs. The LED array  44  is mounted on the circuit board  42  to project the light away from the plane of the circuit board  42  and the mounting surface  34 . 
     In the embodiment shown, the circuit board  42  for each the lighting source  40  is substantially planar and has a dimension to mount directly to the mounting surface  34  of the housing  12 . The circuit boards  42  can be attached to the mounting surface  34  by a suitable adhesive, fastener or other fastening means as known in the art. The number of LEDs mounted to the circuit board can vary depending on the properties and characteristics of the circuit board, the power source and the amount of light intended to be produced by the lighting assembly. In the embodiment shown, three circuit boards are mounted on the mounting surface although the number can vary as needed. The circuit boards are mounted by a suitable means to transfer heat to the housing to prevent overheating of the LEDs and circuit board. 
     The reflector  14  has a length and width to complement the dimensions of the mounting surface  34  of the housing  12 . The reflector in one embodiment of the invention is a molded plastic material such as polycarbonate. The reflector  14  is preferably a one piece integrally formed unit. 
     The reflector  14  has a central opening  48  with a dimension complementing the dimensions of the circuit board  42  and the corresponding LEDs so that the central opening  48  surrounds the circuit boards  42  of the light source  40 . In the embodiment shown, the reflector  14  has a substantially rectangular shape and the central opening  48  has a substantially rectangular shape complementing the rectangular dimensions of the housing  12 , the mounting surface  34 , and the LED array. 
     The reflector  14  is formed by a continuous outer radial wall  50  having an outer radial surface  52  and an inner radial surface  54 . The outer wall  50  forms a perimeter of the reflector  14  and encircles the central opening  48  and defines the outer dimensions of the reflector. The outer wall  50  has an inner surface  56  configured for contacting the mounting surface  34  as shown in  FIG. 5 . An outer face  58  is provided opposite to the inner face  56 . The outer surface  52  and the inner surface  54  of the outer wall  50  extend between the inner face  56  and the outer face  58 . In the embodiment shown, the inner face  56  and the outer face  58  are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the outer surface  52  of the outer wall  50 . 
     The outer wall  50  in the embodiment shown is defined by a first end wall portion  60 , a second end wall portion  62 , and side wall portions  64  extending between the end wall portion  60  and  62 . A light reflecting flange  66  extends inwardly from the outer wall  50  and has an inner edge  68  defining the central opening  48 . The light reflecting flange  66  as shown in  FIG. 6  has an inwardly extending planar portion  70  along the first end wall portion  60  that extends inwardly from the outer face  58  toward the central opening  48  in a direction substantially parallel to the outer face  58 . An inclined portion  72  extends from the planar portion  70  and is inclined toward central opening  48  and annular face  56  and extends a distance to contact the mounting surface  34  when mounted on the mounting surface. 
     The reflecting flange  66  includes an inwardly extending portion  74  extending from the end wall portion  62  as shown in  FIG. 7 . An inclined portion  76  extends from the planar portion  74  and is inclined towards the central opening  48  and the inner face  56 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the inclined portion  76  has a length to define a gap  78  between the edge of the inclined portion  76  to allow the wires  80  to pass between the opening in the mounting surface  34  and the connector of the circuit board  42 . The light reflecting flange  66  has side portions  82  extending substantially parallel to the plane of the outer wall  50  and spaced inwardly from the outer wall  50  by a connecting portion  84 . The side portions extend between the inclined portions  72  and  76 . 
     The inner face  56  of the reflector  14  includes a continuous open channel  86  that surrounds the perimeter of the outer wall  50 . The channel  86  is defined by a cavity with an open end, a bottom surface  88  and opposing side surfaces  90 . At least one rib  92  extends into the cavity of the channel  86  toward the open end as shown in  FIG. 5 . In the embodiment shown, two continuous ribs  92  extend from the bottom surface  88  so that the ends are spaced inwardly from the inner face  56  and the open end of the channel  86 . 
     The outer face  58  includes an open continuous channel  94  that encircles the perimeter of the outer face and the reflector. The channel  94  has an open end facing opposite the open end of the channel  86  in the inner face  56 . The channel  94  is defined by a cavity with has an open end, a bottom surface  96  and side surfaces  98 . A rib  100  extends from the bottom surface  96  toward the open end so that the end of the rib is spaced from the open end and the outer face  58 . In the embodiment shown, two parallel ribs  100  extend from the bottom surface  96 . 
     A seal member  102  is received in each of the channels  86  and  94 . The seal member  102  forms a gasket to form a weatherproof seal between the reflector  14  and the housing  12  and between the reflector  14  and the cover  16 . The seal member  102  is a continuous one piece seal that is received in the respective channel and surrounding the perimeter of the reflector along the inner face and the outer face. In the embodiment shown, the seal member has an annular or circular cross section with a hollow center  104  to allow the seal member  102  to compress, deform and form a seal between the opposing surfaces. The seal member  102  has a dimension to fit within the respective channels  86  and  94  and is sufficiently compressible to form a seal with the ribs  92  and  100  and the mounting surface  34  and the surface of the cover  16 , respectfully. In the embodiment shown, the inner face  56  and the outer face  58  are substantially parallel and face in opposite directions. The respective channels  86  and  94  also face outwardly from the plane of the reflector  14  in opposite directions. The cover  16  is supported by the reflector  14  so that cover does not directly contact the housing  12 . 
     The cover  16  is a light transmitting member in the form of a transparent or translucent plate-like member having a dimension corresponding to the outer dimension of the reflector  14  so that the cover  16  contacts the outer face  58  of the reflector  14 . As shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , the cover is spaced from the LED array by the reflector. In the embodiment shown, the cover  16  has a substantially planar configuration with a flat inner surface and a flat outer surface for transmitting light from the light source outwardly from the lighting assembly. In other embodiments, the cover  16  can be a lens and provided with a textured surface to defuse light or project light in a desired pattern as known in the art. The cover  16  has a dimension to overlie the LED array to protect the LEDs and circuit boards while transmitting the light to the target area. 
     The frame  18  is constructed for coupling directly to the housing  12  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The frame  18  has a continuous side wall  106  with an inner dimension corresponding to the outer dimension of the reflector so that the frame encircles the perimeter of the reflector. In a preferred embodiment, the side wall  106  of the frame  18  has a height corresponding to the combined height of the reflector and the cover. An inwardly extending flange  108  extends radially inward from the outer end of the side wall  106  a distance to overlie an outer edge along a perimeter of the cover  16  and has an inner edge defining a central opening  110  of the frame  18 . An inner end of the side wall  16  has an outwardly extending flange  112  for mating with the housing and coupling the frame to the housing. In the flange  112  includes a plurality of screw apertures  114  for receiving a screw  116  for coupling to a threaded aperture  118  in the housing for coupling the frame  18  to the housing. The central opening  110  has a dimension complementing the dimension of the LED array and the frame  18 . 
     The lighting assembly  10  is constructed by positioning the seal members  102  in the respective channels of the reflector  14  and positioning the reflector on the mounting surface  34  of the housing so that the reflector and seal member surround the circuit board  42  and the respective LED array  44  so that the LED array  44  is positioned within the central opening of the reflector  14 . The cover  16  is positioned on the outer face  58  of the reflector  14  and the frame  18  is positioned over the cover  16  and secured to the housing. The frame  18  is coupled to the housing by the screws  116  so that the outwardly extending flange  112  apply sufficient pressure to the cover  16  to compress the seal members  102  and form a weatherproof seal between the inner face  56  of the reflector and the mounting surface  34  of the housing  12  and a weatherproof seal between the outer face  58  of the reflector  14  and the inner surface of the cover  16 . In one embodiment, the cover  16  can be coupled to the frame  18 , such as by a double face adhesive tape, for use in assembly the cover and the frame to the housing. 
     In the lighting assembly of the invention, the seal members  10  to form a continuous seal around the perimeter of the inner face  56  and outer face  58  of the reflector  16  so that additional seals and gaskets are not necessary to provide a waterproof or weatherproof enclosure for the electrical components of the LEDs and circuit boards. 
     While various embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.