LED light engine apparatus for luminaire retrofit
AssigneeXeralux, Inc.
InventorStephen P. Oster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An LED light engine apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may provide a simplified, modular method of retrofitting existing luminaires with high-brightness LEDs. The physical structure and method of mounting to the luminaire may enable the light engine to direct the light output such that a wide variety of light output patterns can be achieved in many cases without the need for custom reflectors or optics. The compact size and method and use of heat pipes for heat sinking to the luminaire may enable one or more assemblies to be placed into a luminaire, achieving higher levels of illumination than could be done with LEDs in the prior art.
Claims18
A method of retrofitting a luminaire comprising:
- providing a pre-existing luminaire housing;
- inserting a lighting unit into the luminaire housing, said lighting unit capable of conforming to various luminare housings and having:
- one or more light source supported by a thermally conductive support plate;
- and
- one or more heat pipe connected to the thermally conductive support plate and to a thermally conductive base plate;
- and
- affixing the thermally conductive base plate to an interior surface of the luminaire housing,
- wherein the luminaire housing is not pre-configured for receiving the lighting unit,
- wherein the base plate is affixed so that the support plate is at a non-parallel angle relative to a housing surface closest to the support plate by selecting a degree of bend in a heat pipe of the one or more heat pipe
- and wherein heat is conducted from the thermally conductive base plate to an exterior surface of the luminaire housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.