Patent ID: 6910794

Claim:
A method of cooling an automotive lighting assembly comprising the steps of: (a) providing a heat pipe with a shell that defines a condensing area and an evaporation area, (b) providing a fluid contained within the shell of the heat pipe, the fluid located at the evaporation area, (c) providing fins within the shell of the heat pipe at the condensation area, (d) thermally coupling the light assembly to the shell of the heat pipe proximate to the evaporation area, (e) transferring heat from the light assembly though the shell of the heat pipe to the fluid to cause the fluid to evaporate and form a vapor, (f) thermally coupling a heat sink external to the heat pipe to the shell at a location proximate to the condensation area; and (g) transferring heat from the vapor through the shell of the heat pipe at the condensation area and the fins to the heat sink.