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US 8,541,958 B2Granted
LED light with thermoelectric generator
AssigneeiLumisys, Inc.
InventorsDavid L. Simon, John Ivey, James R. Scapa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An LED based light and a method of providing power to the LED are disclosed. The LED based light includes at least one LED and at least one thermoelectric generator having a first side and a second side. The first side is thermally coupled to the at least one LED such that heat generated by the at least one LED is conducted to the at least one thermoelectric generator, producing a temperature differential between the first side and second side. The at least one thermoelectric generator is configured to produce electrical energy from the temperature differential.
Claims19
An LED based light comprising:
- at least one LED;
- and
- at least one thermoelectric generator having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is thermally coupled to the at least one LED such that heat generated by the at least one LED is conducted to the at least one thermoelectric generator, producing a temperature differential between the first side and second side, wherein the at least one thermoelectric generator is configured to produce electrical energy from the temperature differential;
- wherein the at least one thermoelectric generator has an electrical connection to the at least one LED, wherein the electrical energy produced by the at least one thermoelectric generator is provided to the at least one LED.
1 more element
An LED based light comprising:
- at least one LED;
- and
- at least one thermoelectric generator having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is thermally coupled to the at least one LED such that heat generated by the at least one LED is conducted to the at least one thermoelectric generator, producing a temperature differential between the first side and second side, wherein the at least one thermoelectric generator is configured to produce electrical energy from the temperature differential;
- wherein the at least one LED is a plurality of LEDs and the at least one thermoelectric generator is a plurality of thermoelectric generators, each of the plurality of LEDs being thermally coupled to a respective one of the plurality of thermoelectric generators.
1 more element
An LED based light comprising:
- at least one LED;
- and
- at least one thermoelectric generator having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is thermally coupled to the at least one LED such that heat generated by the at least one LED is conducted to the at least one thermoelectric generator, producing a temperature differential between the first side and second side, wherein the at least one thermoelectric generator is configured to produce electrical energy from the temperature differential;
- wherein the at least one thermoelectric generator is a plurality of thermoelectric generators electrically connected to each other in series.
1 more element
An LED based light comprising:
- at least one LED;
- at least one thermoelectric generator having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is thermally coupled to the at least one LED such that heat generated by the at least one LED is conducted to the at least one thermoelectric generator, producing a temperature differential between the first side and second side, wherein the at least one thermoelectric generator is configured to produce electrical energy from the temperature differential;
- and
- a heat sink adjacent to the second side of the at least one thermoelectric generator and configured to increase the temperature differential between the first side and the second side;
- wherein the heat sink is disposed in thermally conductive relation to the second side of the at least one thermoelectric generator;
- and
- wherein the at least one thermoelectric generator is disposed in thermally conductive relation to the at least one LED, and the at least one thermoelectric generator is disposed between the at least one LED and the heat sink.
4 more elements
An LED based light for use in a conventional lighting fixture comprising:
- a circuit board;
- at least one LED mounted on the circuit board and configured to receive electrical energy from a power source;
- at least one thermoelectric generator configured to generate an electrical energy in response to heat received from the at least one LED;
- and
- a power converter circuit connected to the power source and configured to electrically connect the least one thermoelectric generator to the least one LED and to power the at least one LED with the electrical energy provided by the at least one thermoelectric generator.
2 more elements
A method of providing power to an LED in an LED based light comprising:
- supplying power provided by a power source to at least one LED;
- converting heat generated by the at least one LED to electrical energy with at least one thermoelectric generator in thermally conductive relation with the at least one LED;
- electrically connecting the at least one thermoelectric generator to the least one LED;
- and
- supplying the electrical energy to the at least one LED from the electrically connected at least one thermoelectric generator to supplement the power supplied by the power source.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.