# US 8,465,178 B2 · LED lighting fixture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,465,178 B2 - Document ID: US8465178B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/876,817 - Filed: 2010-09-07 - Published: 2012-03-08 - Granted: 2013-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-07 - Assignees: Cree, Inc. - Applicants: Kurt S. Wilcox; Wayne Guillien; Frank Tsao - Inventors: Kurt S. Wilcox; Wayne Guillien; Frank Tsao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465178B2 ## CPC - F21V 29/763: {the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis} - F21K 9/20: Light sources comprising attachment means - F21V 5/00: Refractors for light sources (characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/504) - F21V 19/0055: {by screwing} - F21V 23/002: {Arrangements of cables or conductors inside a lighting device, e.g. means for guiding along parts of the housing or in a pivoting arm} - F21V 23/009: {the casing being inside the housing of the lighting device} - F21V 27/02: Cable inlets - F21V 29/70: characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks - F21V 29/773: {the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis} - F21V 21/30: Pivoted housings or frames - F21V 31/005: {Sealing arrangements therefor} - F21Y 2105/10: comprising a two-dimensional [2D] array of point-like light-generating elements - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED ## Abstract An LED lighting fixture including a housing having a hollow interior cavity defined by a backwall and a surrounding wall extending therefrom to a forward edge. An LED illuminator is mounted in the housing. An LED-support structure extends in the interior cavity from the housing to an LED-supporting surface positioning the LED illuminator in a desired orientation and spaced from the backwall. The LED-support structure is a heat sink transferring heat from the LED illuminator to the housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In an LED lighting fixture including an LED illuminator mounted with respect to a housing, the improvement comprising: the housing being a single piece having: (a) a backwall defining a fixture outer surface and a surrounding wall extending from the backwall to a forward edge, the surrounding wall and the backwall together defining a single interior cavity; and (b) an LED-support structure integrally formed with the housing in the interior cavity and substantially spaced from the surrounding wall and extending from the backwall to an LED-supporting surface positioning the LED illuminator in a desired orientation and spaced from the backwall, the LED-support structure being a heat sink transferring heat from the LED illuminator to the housing; and an LED driver within the interior cavity and secured against the housing which transfers heat therefrom. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 including at least one interior rib connecting the LED-support structure to the surrounding wall. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of the housing includes a series of fins extending outwardly therefrom and providing further heat dissipation from the LED illuminator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The LED lighting fixture of claim 3 wherein: the outer surface of the backwall has a region free of outer fins; and a finned insert is secured to such region of the backwall such that the rear of the fixture is uniformly finned. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein: the LED-support structure is substantially hollow; and the backwall is apertured, thereby allowing passage of wiring into the housing interior and to the LED illuminator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein: the backwall is substantially planar; and the surrounding wall includes a wire passage into the housing interior, whereby a plurality of similar fixtures may be mounted along a mounting surface and powered with daisy-chain wiring. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the LED-supporting surface supports the LED illuminator substantially at the level of the forward edge of the surrounding wall. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The LED lighting fixture of claim 7 wherein the LED illuminator is a multi-chip LED module. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The LED lighting fixture of claim 7 further including a cover closing the housing interior, the cover defining an LED aperture exposing the LED illuminator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The LED lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the cover has a substantially white outer surface, thereby reducing absorption of incident light. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The LED lighting fixture of claim 7 further including a lens member over the LED illuminator and sealingly connected to the housing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The LED lighting fixture of claim 11 wherein: the lens member includes a lens portion configured for broad distribution of LED-emitted light and a flange portion about the lens portion; and the housing includes an outward collar about the forward edge of the surrounding wall, the flange portion of the lens member sealingly engaging the outward collar to provide a weather seal to the housing interior. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The LED lighting fixture of claim 12 further including a flange-adjacent gasket between the flange portion and the outward collar. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the LED illuminator is a multi-chip LED module. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 further including a reflector cup positioned at the LED-supporting surface and surrounding the LED illuminator to reflect LED-emitted light in a desired direction, the LED-supporting surface being positioned such that distal edges of the reflector cup are substantially at the level of the forward edge of the surrounding wall. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The LED lighting fixture of claim 15 further including a lens member over the LED illuminator and sealingly connected to the housing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The LED lighting fixture of claim 16 wherein the lens member includes a light-transmissive region for transmitting LED-emitted light and a opaque region covering the housing interior. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The LED lighting fixture of claim 17 wherein: the lens member is substantially planar; and the housing includes an outward collar about the forward edge of the surrounding wall, the lens member sealingly engaging the outward collar. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The LED lighting fixture of claim 18 further including a collar-adjacent gasket between the lens member and the outward collar. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the LED-supporting surface supports the LED illuminator at an acute angle with respect to the backwall. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The LED lighting fixture of claim 20 wherein the surrounding wall includes a shield portion in position to intercept a portion of emitted light. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The LED lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the surrounding wall includes a shield portion in position to intercept a portion of emitted light.