# US 9,039,232 B2 · Underwater LED lights

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- Number: US 9,039,232 B2
- Document ID: US9039232B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/728,781
- Filed: 2012-12-27
- Published: 2013-07-04
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-30
- Assignees: Wet
- Applicants: Wet
- Inventors: Tom Cuda; Graham Baskett; Donald Lariviere; Boris Karpichev; Mark W. Fuller; John Canavan; Scott Winslow; Antonio Layon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039232B2

## CPC

- F21V 5/048: {the lens being a simple lens adapted to cooperate with a point-like source for emitting mainly in one direction and having an axis coincident with the main light transmission direction, e.g. convergent or divergent lenses, plano-concave or plano-convex lenses}
- F21V 23/02: the elements being transformers, impedances {or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier}
- F21V 29/00: Protecting lighting devices from thermal damage; Cooling or heating arrangements specially adapted for lighting devices or systems (lighting fixtures combined with outlets for air-treatment systems F24F13/078)
- F21V 29/507: of means for protecting lighting devices from damage, e.g. housings
- F21V 29/71: using a combination of separate elements interconnected by heat-conducting means, e.g. with heat pipes or thermally conductive bars between separate heat-sink elements
- F21V 29/74: with fins or blades
- F21V 29/83: the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
- F21V 31/005: {Sealing arrangements therefor}
- F21V 21/40: Hand grips
- F21V 23/009: {the casing being inside the housing of the lighting device}
- F21V 29/508: of electrical circuits
- F21V 29/51: using condensation or evaporation of a fluid, e.g. heat pipes
- F21V 29/76: with essentially identical parallel planar fins or blades, e.g. with comb-like cross-section
- F21V 29/77: with essentially identical diverging planar fins or blades, e.g. with fan-like or star-like cross-section
- F21V 29/89: Metals
- F21W 2131/401: for swimming pools
- 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
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
- 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

Underwater LED lights with enhanced cooling to allow the use of substantial numbers of high power LEDs. In all embodiments, the majority of the heat given off by the LEDs is transferred to the housing of the underwater light by heat transfer techniques other than by convection of the air or other gases within the enclosure, providing direct heat conveyance from the LEDs to or through the light enclosure walls, by conduction through a thermal conductor or by or as augmented by heat pipes to the inside wall of the enclosure or through the wall of the enclosure to the water. Various embodiments are disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An LED light for underwater use comprising:
an LED light assembly having a heat sink thermally accessible from the periphery of the assembly;
a plate coupled to the heat sink to conduct heat from the heat sink;
a housing having an open top and an outward extending flange at the open top thereof;
the LED light assembly being positioned in the housing with the plate fastened to the flange at the top of the housing and extending outward beyond most of the flange; and
a lens;
at least one lens clamp holding the lens with respect to the plate;
the lens, plate and flange assembly being sealed, whereby any other openings in the housing may be sealed to provide the LED light for underwater use.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The LED light of claim 1 wherein the plate is coupled to the heat sink through a thermally conductive clamp clamped to the heat sink.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The LED light of claim 1 wherein the any other openings in the housing comprise an opening for a power supply connection.

### Claim 4

An LED light for underwater use comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of LEDs within the housing, wherein the LEDs are mounted in the housing to transfer the majority of the heat from the LEDs to at least one of the housing and water surrounding the housing by other than convection within the housing; and
a power supply in the housing and at least one heat pipe, wherein the heat from the power supply is transferred to an inside surface of the housing by the at least one heat pipe coupled between the power supply and the inside surface of the housing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The LED light of claim 4 wherein the housing has vertical fins on the outside surface of the housing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The LED light of claim 4, wherein the heat from the power supply is transferred to the water by the at least one heat pipe having a first end coupled to the power supply and a second end passing through a wall of the housing to transfer heat directly to the water.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The LED light of claim 6 wherein the housing has vertical fins on the outside surface of the housing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The LED light of claim 4, wherein the LEDs are mounted on a bottom of the housing and wherein the bottom of the housing extends outward beyond sidewalls of the housing, the housing having a casing around the outside of the housing with at least one opening between the casing and the bottom of the housing and at least one opening adjacent the top of the casing whereby water may flow between the casing and the housing and over the top of at least a part of the bottom of the housing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The LED light of claim 8 wherein a lower surface of the bottom of the housing has grooves therein, each groove extending from below at least one LED to the edge of the bottom of the housing to provide a water flow path from below each LED to an outer edge side of the bottom of the housing.

### Claim 10

An LED light for underwater use comprising:
an LED light assembly having a heat sink thermally accessible from the periphery of the assembly;
a clamp coupled around the heat sink to conduct heat from the heat sink;
a plate coupled to the clamp to conduct heat from the clamp;
a housing having an open top and an outward extending flange at the open top thereof;
the LED light assembly and clamp being positioned in the housing with the plate fastened to the flange at the top of the housing and extending outward beyond most of the flange; and
a lens;
at least one lens clamp holding the lens with respect to the plate;
the lens, plate and flange assembly being sealed, whereby any other openings in the housing may be sealed to provide the LED light for underwater use.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The LED light of claim 10 wherein the any other openings in the housing comprise an opening for a power supply connection.

### Claim 12

An LED light for underwater use, comprising:
a housing and;
an LED cluster within the housing, wherein the LED cluster is mounted on and in close thermal contact with a heat conductor, and wherein the heat conductor is in close thermal contact with a first surface of a wall having water on a second surface of the wall opposite the first surface;
whereby when the housing is sealed and the LED light is operated under water, the majority of the cooling of the LED cluster is by conduction of the heat generated by the LED cluster to the inside surface of the housing and not by convection or radiation of heat to the inside surface of the housing;
wherein the wall forms part of a housing with at least one cooling fin on the outer surface of the housing and;
wherein the cooling fin is oriented perpendicular to the direction the LED light projects light; and
wherein the cooling fin is an extension of the heat conductor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The LED light of claim 1, wherein the plate comprises a ring.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The LED light of claim 13, wherein the ring comprises copper.