LED engine of finned boxes for heat transfer

1. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) comprising;

a heat sink ( 12 ) presenting a mounting surface ( 20 ) and an oppositely facing heat transfer surface ( 22 ),

said heat sink ( 12 ) including a plurality of independent sections ( 14 ) each presenting side edges ( 16 ) extending between opposite end edges ( 18 ),

a plurality of light emitting diodes ( 52 ) (LEDs) disposed on said mounting surface ( 20 ) of said sections ( 14 ),

each of said sections ( 14 ) including walls ( 24 , 26 ) extending transversely from said mounting surface ( 20 ) about said side edges ( 16 ) and said end edges ( 18 ) so that each of said mounting surfaces ( 20 ) and surrounding walls ( 24 , 26 ) define an open container with said light emitting diodes ( 52 ) and said mounting surface ( 20 ) at the bottom of said open container, and

characterized by

each of said sections ( 14 ) including a plurality of first fins ( 32 ) extending outwardly from said walls ( 24 , 26 ) and disposed in spaced relationship to one another for transferring heat away from said sections ( 14 ) to surrounding ambient air, and

a support means ( 36 ) extending longitudinally across said sections ( 14 ) for supporting said sections ( 14 ) in spaced relationship to one another with said first fins ( 32 ) of adjacent sections ( 14 ) extending toward one another in the space between sections ( 14 ).

2. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sections ( 14 ) are elongated and said first fins ( 32 ) extend transverse to said longitudinally extending support means ( 36 ) for allowing ambient air to flow between said first fins ( 32 ) and over said walls ( 24 , 26 ) of adjacent sections ( 14 ).

3. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said walls ( 24 , 26 ) include end walls ( 24 ) extending transversely from said mounting surface ( 20 ) at said end edges ( 18 ) to top end edges ( 28 ) and side walls ( 26 ) extend transversely from said mounting surface ( 20 ) at said side edges ( 16 ) to top side edges ( 30 ).

4. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 3 wherein said first fins ( 32 ) extend continuously between said end walls ( 24 ) on said side walls ( 26 ) of said sections ( 14 ).

5. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 4 wherein said support means ( 36 ) includes a plurality of bridges ( 42 ) interconnecting adjacent sections ( 14 ) to maintain said sections ( 14 ) connected together and,

a mounting bracket ( 44 ) extending transversely from at least one of said sections ( 14 ) for mounting said light assembly ( 10 ) to a wall.

6. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said sections ( 14 ) includes a plurality of second fins ( 34 ) extending continuously between said end walls ( 24 ) and outwardly from said heat transfer surface ( 22 ) and disposed in spaced relationship to one another for transferring heat away from said sections ( 14 ) to surrounding ambient air.

7. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second fins ( 34 ) are disposed between said heat transfer surface ( 22 ) and said support means ( 36 ) for allowing ambient air to flow between said second fins ( 34 ) and over said heat transfer surface ( 22 ) of said sections ( 14 ).

8. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 3 wherein said first fins ( 32 ) extend continuously between said heat transfer surface ( 22 ) and said top side edges ( 30 ) of said side walls ( 26 ) of said sections ( 14 ).

9. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 8 wherein:

said support means ( 36 ) presents a planar surface ( 38 ) extending longitudinally along one of said end walls ( 24 ) of each of said sections ( 14 ), and

said support means ( 36 ) includes a connecting means ( 40 ) connecting said end walls ( 24 ) of each of said sections ( 14 ) to said planar surface ( 38 ) for cantilevering said sections ( 14 ) from said planar surface ( 38 ).

10. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mounting surface ( 20 ) of each of said sections ( 14 ) is a separate piece independent of said walls ( 24 , 26 ) of said sections ( 14 ).

11. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 including a lens sheet ( 62 ) spanning said open container between said walls ( 24 , 26 ) of each of said sections ( 14 ).

12. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said sections ( 14 ) is canted at an angle relative to another one of said sections ( 14 ).

13. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least two of said sections ( 14 ) are disposed in non-parallel relationship relative to one another.

14. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 including said heat sink ( 12 ) being formed of electrically and thermally conductive aluminum material,

said heat sink ( 12 ) being defined by said plurality of independent sections ( 14 ) with said side edges ( 16 ) and said end edges ( 18 ) interconnecting said mounting surface ( 20 ) and said heat transfer surface ( 22 )

a coating ( 48 ) of electrically insulating material disposed on said mounting surface ( 20 ) of each of said sections ( 14 ),

said coating ( 48 ) being less than one thousand microns in thickness,

a plurality of circuit traces ( 50 ) spaced from one another on said coating ( 48 ) for preventing electrical conduction between said circuit traces ( 50 ) so that said coating ( 48 ) prevents electrical conduction from each of said circuit traces ( 50 ) to said heat sink ( 12 ),

said plurality of light emitting diodes ( 52 ) disposed in spaces between adjacent ones of said circuit traces ( 50 ),

each of said light emitting diodes ( 52 ) having a positive lead ( 54 ) and a negative lead ( 56 ),

said leads ( 54 , 56 ) of each of said light emitting diodes ( 52 ) being in electrical engagement with said adjacent ones of said circuit traces ( 50 ) for electrically interconnecting said circuit traces ( 50 ) and said light emitting diodes ( 52 ),

an adhesive ( 46 ) of electrically conductive material securing said leads ( 54 , 56 ) to said circuit traces ( 50 ),

said light emitting diodes ( 52 ) on each of said sections ( 14 ) being electrically interconnected in series with one another,

said light emitting diodes ( 52 ) on each of said sections ( 14 ) being electrically interconnected in parallel with said light emitting diodes ( 52 ) on other sections ( 14 ),

a plurality of collimators ( 58 ) each encompassing one of said light emitting diodes ( 52 ) for focusing a scattered beam of light emitting from said light emitting diodes ( 52 ) into a parallel beam of light,

said walls ( 24 , 26 ) of said sections ( 14 ) including end walls ( 24 ) extending transversely from said mounting surface ( 20 ) at said end edges ( 18 ),

said walls ( 24 , 26 ) of said sections ( 14 ) including side walls ( 26 ) extending transversely from said mounting surface ( 20 ) at said side edges ( 16 ) to top side edges ( 30 ) so that said container is further defined by a rectangular shape,

said first fins ( 32 ) extending transverse to said longitudinally extending support means ( 36 ) for allowing ambient air to flow between said first fins ( 32 ) and over said walls ( 24 , 26 ) of said sections ( 14 ),

a lens sheet ( 62 ) spanning and closing said open container between said top edges ( 28 , 30 ) of said walls ( 24 , 26 ) of each of said sections ( 14 ),

said lens sheet ( 62 ) comprising a light transmitting material for allowing light emitting from said light emitting diodes ( 52 ) to pass therethrough,

said lens sheet ( 62 ) including a plurality of prisms ( 64 ) for deflecting said beam of light emitting from said light emitting diodes ( 52 ),

a lens seal ( 66 ) disposed between said lens sheet ( 62 ) and said top edges ( 28 , 30 ) for sealing said lens sheet ( 62 ) to said top edges ( 28 , 30 ) of said walls ( 24 , 26 ) of said sections ( 14 ),

a securing means ( 68 ) for securing said lens sheet ( 62 ) to said top edges ( 28 , 30 ) of said walls ( 24 , 26 ) of said sections ( 14 ), and

a power supply ( 60 ) connected to said support means ( 36 ) for providing power to said light emitting diodes ( 52 ).

15. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 14 wherein:

each of said first fins ( 32 ) extends continuously between said heat transfer surface ( 22 ) and said top edges ( 28 , 30 ) on said side walls ( 26 ) and one of said end walls ( 24 ) of said sections ( 14 ), and

said support means ( 36 ) presents a planar surface ( 38 ) extending longitudinally along the one end walls ( 24 ) without said first fins ( 32 ) of each of said sections ( 14 ) and a connecting means ( 40 ) connecting the one end wall ( 24 ) without said fins ( 32 , 34 ) to said planar surface ( 38 ) for cantilevering said sections ( 14 ) from said planar surface ( 38 ).

16. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 15 wherein said sections ( 14 ) are canted at angles relative to one another.

17. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 15 wherein said sections ( 14 ) are disposed in non-parallel relationship relative to one another.

18. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 14 wherein:

each of said first fins ( 32 ) extends continuously between said end walls ( 24 ) on said side walls ( 26 ) of said sections ( 14 ), and

said support means ( 36 ) includes a plurality of bridges ( 42 ) interconnecting adjacent sections ( 14 ) to maintain said sections ( 14 ) connected together and a mounting bracket ( 44 ) extending transversely from at least one of said sections ( 14 ) for mounting said light assembly ( 10 ) to a wall.

19. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 18 wherein:

each of said sections ( 14 ) includes a plurality of second fins ( 34 ) extending outwardly from said heat transfer surface ( 22 ) and disposed in spaced and parallel relationship to one another between said side edges ( 16 ) of each of said sections ( 14 ) for transferring heat away from said sections ( 14 ) to surrounding ambient air,

said second fins ( 34 ) are disposed between said heat transfer surface ( 22 ) and said longitudinally extending support means ( 36 ) for allowing ambient air to flow between said second fins ( 34 ) and over said heat transfer surfaces ( 22 ) of said sections ( 14 ), and

each of said second fins ( 34 ) extends continuously between said end edges ( 18 ) on said heat transfer surface ( 22 ) of said sections ( 14 ).

20. A method of fabricating a light emitting assembly ( 10 ) including the steps of:

forming a continuous strip of heat sink ( 12 ) having a cross section presenting a mounting surface ( 20 ),

cutting the strip of heat sink ( 12 ) into a plurality of pieces each presenting the mounting surface ( 20 ),

disposing light emitting diodes ( 52 ) on the mounting surface ( 20 ) of each section ( 14 ),

extruding a continuous tube of heat sink ( 12 ) having a cross section presenting side walls ( 24 ) and end walls ( 26 ) and first fins ( 32 ) extending outwardly from the walls ( 24 , 26 ) separate from said extruding the mounting surface ( 20 ),

cutting the continuous tube of heat sink ( 12 ) into a plurality of wall units each presenting the side walls ( 24 ) and end walls ( 26 ) and first fins ( 32 ),

connecting the mounting surface ( 20 ) of one of the sections ( 20 ) to one of the wall units, and

extending a support means ( 36 ) longitudinally across the sections ( 14 ) for supporting the sections ( 14 ).

21. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) comprising;

a heat sink ( 12 ) presenting a mounting surface ( 20 ) and an oppositely facing heat transfer surface ( 22 ),

said heat sink ( 12 ) presenting side edges ( 16 ) extending between opposite end edges ( 18 ),

a plurality of light emitting diodes ( 52 ) (LEDs) disposed on said mounting surface ( 20 ) of said heat sink ( 12 ),

said heat sink ( 12 ) including end walls ( 24 ) extending transversely and linearly from said mounting surface ( 20 ) at said end edges ( 18 ) to top end edges ( 28 ) and side walls ( 26 ) extending transversely and linearly from said mounting surface ( 20 ) at said side edges ( 16 ) to top side edges ( 30 ),

said walls ( 24 , 26 ) extending about said side edges ( 16 ) and said end edges ( 18 ) so that said mounting surface ( 20 ) and surrounding walls ( 24 , 26 ) define an open container with said light emitting diodes ( 52 ) and said mounting surface ( 20 ) at the bottom of said open container,

said heat sink ( 12 ) including a plurality of first fins ( 32 ) extending outwardly from said walls ( 24 , 26 ) and disposed in spaced relationship to one another for transferring heat away from said heat sink ( 12 ) to surrounding ambient air, and wherein at least one of said end walls ( 24 ) is flat and free of said fins ( 32 ).