Lighting device which includes one or more solid state light emitting device

1. A lighting device, comprising:

at least a first solid state light emitter; and

a substantially transparent heat sink,

said heat sink and said first solid state light emitter positioned and oriented relative to one another such that if said solid state light emitter is illuminated, substantially all the light that is emitted by said first solid state light emitter and that exits the lighting device passes through said substantially transparent heat sink.

2. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said heat sink has a heat conductivity of at least 1 W/m-K.

3. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said heat sink has a surface area of at least 10 mm 2 .

4. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said heat sink comprises at least one heat sink element.

5. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said lighting device further comprises at least one luminescent material.

6. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said lighting device further comprises at least one encapsulant, said encapsulant in contact with said solid state light emitter.

7. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said lighting device further comprises at least one heat spreader, said heat spreader having a heat spreader heat conductivity which is higher than a heat conductivity of said heat sink.

8. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of a surface of said heat sink comprises an optical feature.

9. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein:

said lighting device further comprises a printed circuit board, and

said solid state light emitter is on said printed circuit board.

10. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said lighting device is a back-reflecting device.

11. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said lighting device is a front-emitting device.

12. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said heat sink comprises at least one substantially transparent region having a first heat conductivity and at least one thermal transfer region having a second heat conductivity, said second heat conductivity greater than said first heat conductivity.

13. A lighting device as recited in claim 12 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises metal.

14. A lighting device as recited in claim 12 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises at least one bar.

15. A lighting device as recited in claim 12 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises at least one crossbar.

16. A lighting device as recited in claim 12 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises at least one wire.

17. A lighting device as recited in claim 12 , wherein said thermal transfer region also functions as an electrical terminal.

18. A lighting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a surface of said solid state light emitter defines a first plane and substantially all of said transparent heat sink is on one side of said first plane.

19. A lighting device, comprising:

at least a first solid state light emitter;

a substantially transparent heat sink; and

a heat spreader;

said heat sink and said first solid state light emitter positioned and oriented relative to one another such that if said first solid state light emitter is illuminated, light emitted by said first solid state light emitter which exits the lighting device passes through at least a portion of said heat sink;

said substantially transparent heat sink on a first side of said solid state light emitter and said heat spreader on a second side of said solid state light emitter.

20. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein said heat sink has a heat conductivity of at least 1 W/m-K.

21. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein said heat sink has a surface area of at least 10 mm 2 .

22. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein if said solid state light emitter is illuminated, substantially all light emitted by said solid state light emitter which exits said lighting device passes through at least a portion of said heat sink.

23. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein said heat sink comprises at least one heat sink element.

24. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein said lighting device further comprises at least one luminescent material.

25. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein said lighting device further comprises at least one encapsulant, and said encapsulant is in contact with said solid state light emitter.

26. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein said heat spreader has a heat spreader heat conductivity which is higher than a heat conductivity of said heat sink.

27. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein at least one portion of a surface of said heat sink comprises an optical feature.

28. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein said lighting device further comprises a printed circuit board, and said solid state light emitter is mounted on said printed circuit board.

29. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein said lighting device is a back-reflecting device.

30. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein said lighting device is a front-emitting device.

31. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein said heat sink comprises at least one substantially transparent region having a first heat conductivity and at least one thermal transfer region having a second heat conductivity, said second heat conductivity greater than said first heat conductivity.

32. A lighting device as recited in claim 31 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises metal.

33. A lighting device as recited in claim 31 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises at least one bar.

34. A lighting device as recited in claim 31 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises at least one crossbar.

35. A lighting device as recited in claim 31 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises at least one wire.

36. A lighting device as recited in claim 31 , wherein said thermal transfer region also functions as an electrical terminal.

37. A lighting device as recited in claim 19 , wherein a surface of said first solid state light emitter defines a first plane and substantially all of said transparent heat sink is on one side of said first plane.

38. A lighting device, comprising:

at least one solid state light emitter; and

means for extracting heat from said solid state light emitter.

39. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein said means for extracting heat has a heat conductivity of at least 1 W/m-K.

40. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein said means for extracting heat has a surface area of at least 10 mm 2 .

41. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein if said solid state light emitter is illuminated, substantially all light emitted by said solid state light emitter which exits said lighting device passes through at least a portion of said means for extracting heat.

42. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein said means for extracting heat comprises at least one heat sink element.

43. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein said lighting device further comprises at least one luminescent material.

44. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein said lighting device further comprises at least one encapsulant, and said encapsulant is in contact with said solid state light emitter.

45. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein said lighting device further comprises at least one heat spreader, said heat spreader having a heat spreader heat conductivity which is higher than a heat conductivity of said means for extracting heat.

46. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein at least one portion of a surface of said means for extracting heat comprises an optical feature.

47. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein said lighting device further comprises a printed circuit board, said solid state light emitter on said printed circuit board.

48. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein said lighting device is a back-reflecting device.

49. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein said lighting device is a front-emitting device.

50. A lighting device as recited in claim 38 , wherein said means for extracting heat comprises at least one substantially transparent region having a first heat conductivity and at least one thermal transfer region having a second heat conductivity, said second heat conductivity greater than said first heat conductivity.

51. A lighting device as recited in claim 50 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises metal.

52. A lighting device as recited in claim 50 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises at least one bar.

53. A lighting device as recited in claim 50 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises at least one crossbar.

54. A lighting device as recited in claim 50 , wherein said thermal transfer region comprises at least one wire.

55. A lighting device as recited in claim 50 , wherein said thermal transfer region also functions as an electrical terminal.

56. A lighting device, comprising:

at least a first solid state light emitter;

at least one substantially transparent heat sink;

at least one reflective element; and

at least a first electrical conductor, at least a portion of which is electrically conductive;

the at least one reflective element and the substantially transparent heat sink in combination substantially surrounding the solid state light emitter, except where the at least one electrical conductor extends through the substantially transparent heat sink.

57. A lighting device as recited in claim 56 , wherein substantially all of the light emitted by said first solid state light emitter that exits said lighting device passes through at least a portion of said transparent heat sink.

58. A lighting device, comprising:

at least a first solid state light emitter;

at least one substantially transparent heat sink;

at least one encapsulant;

at least one reflective element; and

at least a first electrical conductor, at least a portion of which is electrically conductive;

the at least one reflective element, the at least one substantially transparent heat sink and the at least one encapsulant in combination substantially surrounding the solid state light emitter, except where the at least one electrical conductor extends through the substantially transparent heat sink.

59. A lighting device as recited in claim 58 , wherein substantially all of the light emitted by the first solid state light emitter that exits the lighting device passes through at least a portion of the transparent heat sink.

60. A lighting device, comprising:

at least a first solid state light emitter;

a substantially transparent heat sink, at least some of the light emitted by the first solid state light emitter passing through the heat sink; and

at least one electrical conductor electrically connected to the first solid state light emitter,

at least a portion of the at least one electrical conductor is electrically conductive;

the at least one electrical conductor extends through said substantially transparent heat sink; and

said solid state light emitter is substantially surrounded by said substantially transparent heat sink, except where the at least one electrical conductor extends through said substantially transparent heat sink.