Light set with heat dissipation means

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a light set and more particularly, to a light set with heat dissipation means that has a heat dissipation module mounted inside the casing to dissipate heat during the operation of the light source thereof.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Since the invention of incandescent lamp by Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), electric lighting has greatly improved our living style. Nowadays, a variety of lighting fixtures have been developed for different applications, for example, home and office illumination or for use in motor vehicles.

[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional LED type light set. The light set comprises a solid metal plate, for example, aluminum plate 10, a LED (light emitting diode) or LEDs 12 mounted on the aluminum plate 10, and a circuit 14 provided around the border area of the aluminum plate 10 for controlling the operation of the LED(s) 12. The aluminum plate 10 is adapted to dissipate heat from the LED(s) 12. However, the low heat dissipation working efficiency of the aluminum plate 10 is insufficient to carry heat away from the LED(s) 12.

[0006] Vapor Chambers are commonly used in cooling modules for electronic apparatus. FIG. 2 shows a pipe shape Vapor Chamber according to the prior art. According to this design, the Vapor Chamber 2 comprises a hollow body 20 that is kept in a vacuum status, a capillary structure 22 formed inside the hollow body 20, and a working fluid (not shown) filled in the hollow body 20. When in use, one side, namely, the hot side of the hollow body 20 of the Vapor Chamber 2 is maintained closely attached to the heat source (power-consuming chip, CPU, or LCD) 26. During operation of the heat source 26, the working fluid in the hollow body 20 is heated into steam by heat energy from the heat source 26. Produced steam passes (transport) from the hot side of the hollow body 20 to the other side, namely, the cold side where steam is condensed into fluid, which is then guided back to the hot side of the hollow body 20 by the capillary structure 22. By means of interchange between fluid state and steam state, the thermal could be quickly carried away from the heat source.

[0007] It is practical to use the aforesaid thermoconductor with a light source to carry heat from the light source during its operation, so that the working efficiency of the light source can be greatly improved.

[0008] The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a light set, which is equipped with radiation fins to dissipate heat efficient during the operation of the light source thereof, so as to improve the working efficiency of the light source and prolongs its service life. It is another object of the present invention to provide a light set, which has air vents formed in the casing thereof for quick dissipation of heat during the operation of the light source thereof.

[0009] To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the light set comprises a casing that admits light; a thermoconductor mounted inside the casing, the thermoconductor having a flat end portion; at least one radiation fin fastened to the periphery of the thermoconductor inside the casing; a light source installed in the flat end portion of the thermoconductor; and a power unit mounted inside the casing and electrically connected to the light source to provide the light source with the necessary working voltage.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 3, a light set 3 is shown comprising a casing 30 that admits light, a thermoconductor 32 that can be a heat pipe or heat column mounted inside the casing 30 and has one end, namely, the top end thereof flatted, a plurality of radiation fins 324 arranged around the periphery of the thermoconductor 32 for dissipation of heat from the thermoconductor 32 to the outside space, a light source 34 mounted on the flat top end of the thermoconductor 32 for producing light through the casing 30, a circuit board 36 mounted inside the casing 30 and provided at the other end, namely, the bottom end of the thermoconductor 32, and power unit that can be a battery set or AC adapter 37 mounted inside the casing 30 and electrically connected to the circuit board 36 and the light source 34 to provide the necessary working voltage to the light source 34 through the circuit board 36.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the thermoconductor 32 comprises a hollow body 320 formed of copper and kept in a vacuum status, a capillary structure (not shown) formed inside the hollow body 320, and a working fluid (not shown) filled in the hollow body 320. The hollow body 320 of the thermoconductor 32 has a cold side and a hot side. The working fluid is distributed in the capillary structure of the hollow body 320 of the thermoconductor 32. During operation of the light set 3, the working fluid in the hot side is evaporated into steam and travel toward the cold side of the hollow body 320 of thermoconductor 32 by thermal adsorbed from the light source 34, and the steam is then condensed into fluid status by the cold side of the hollow body 320 of thermoconductor 32 and guided back to the hot side of the hollow body 320 of thermoconductor 32 by the capillary structure. The aforesaid radiation fins 324 are provided at the cold side of the hollow body 320 of thermoconductor 32 for transferring heat energy from the cold side of the of the hollow body 320 of thermoconductor 32 to the outside space during changing of the work fluid between steam status and fluid status.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 6, the light source 34 comprises a substrate 340, an array of light emitting devices, for example, LEDs (light emitting diodes) 342 arranged on the substrate 340, a positive electrode 344 and a negative electrode 346 mounted in the substrate 340 and respectively electrically connected to the positive and negative terminals of each of the LEDs 342. The substrate 340 is preferably a silicon base material. (light source 34 could also be an assembled LEDs package) Alternatively, the LEDs 342 of the light source 34 can be directly arranged on the flat top end of the hollow body 320 of thermoconductor 32 (see FIG. 7). The LEDs 342 can be installed in the substrate 340 (see FIG. 6) or the flat top end of the hollow body 320 of thermoconductor 32 (see FIG. 7) by wire bonding or flip chip.

[0026] The aforesaid radiation fins 324 may be variously embodied. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the radiation fins 324 have an annular shape and are arranged around the periphery of the hollow body 320 of thermoconductor 32. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the radiation fins 324 are shaped like a fourfold petal and arranged around the periphery of the hollow body 320 of the thermoconductor 32 inside the casing 30 (see also FIG. 3). According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the radiation fins 324 are flat fins radially arranged around the periphery of the hollow body 320 of the thermoconductor 32 inside the casing 30 (see also FIG. 3). The radiation fins 324 can be made of copper or aluminum.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 11, the radiation fins 324 each have two through holes 326 symmetrically disposed at two sides through which the positive and negative electrodes of the light source 34 connect to the circuit board 36.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 12, the casing 30 has a plurality of air vents 302 corresponding to the radiation fins 324 for ventilation so that heat energy can quickly be transfered by air to the outside of the light set.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 13, a fan 38 is provided below the circuit board 36 for causing currents of air to carry heat energy out of the light set. The fan 38 and light source 34 obtains the necessary working voltage (or current) from the power unit 37. The circuit board 36 can design a temperature detection and fan control circuit (not shown) that detects the ambient temperature around the light source and controls ON/OFF status of the fan 38 subject to the detection result, i.e., the temperature detection and fan control circuit turns on the fan 38 when the ambient temperature surpassed a predetermined value, or turns off the fan 38 when the ambient temperature dropped below the predetermined value.

[0030] As indicated above, the present invention provides a light set with heat dissipation means, which has a thermoconductor with radiation fins and a fan mounted inside the casing thereof for quick dissipation of heat from the light source, thereby improving the working efficiency of the light source and prolonging its service life.

[0031] A prototype of light set with heat dissipation means has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 3˜13. The light set with heat dissipation means functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

[0032] Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.