Semiconductor lighting devices and methods
Lighting device embodiments having a housing enclosing one or more interior volumes, a metal core printed circuit board, a multilayer stack of spacers, and a serviceable port in the housing to allow venting of one or more of the interior volumes are disclosed.
1. An underwater lighting device, comprising:
a water tight underwater housing adapted to withstand underwater pressure of at least one hundred feet of depth, the housing enclosing one or more volumes;
a light head, made of a thermally conductive material, disposed in the housing;
a metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB) thermally coupled to the light head;
a plurality of LEDs mounted on the MCPCB;
a transparent window mounted in the housing;
a multilayer stack of spacers made of a high compressive strength material positioned between the window and the MCPCB for engaging the window and carrying loads exerted by the window from external pressure; and
A serviceable port in the housing to allow venting of one or more of the interior volumes.
2. The underwater lighting device of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure relieve valve (PRV) mounted in the underwater housing in communication with one or more of the volumes.
3. The underwater lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the window is a sapphire window.
4. The underwater lighting device of claim 2 , wherein the pressure relief valve is a manually actuated PRV.
5. The underwater lighting device of claim 2 , wherein the pressure relief valve is an automatically actuated PRV.
6. The underwater lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more volumes comprise an upper volume containing the LEDs and a second volume containing power and/or electronics circuitry to drive the LEDs.
7. The underwater light of claim 1 , further comprising a graphite material positioned between the MCPCB and a heat sink to transfer heat therebetween.
8. The underwater lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the window comprises acrylic.
9. An underwater lighting device, comprising:
a water tight underwater housing adapted to withstand underwater pressure of at least one hundred feet of depth, the housing enclosing one or more volumes;
a light head, made of a thermally conductive material, disposed in the housing;
a metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB) thermally coupled to the light head;
a plurality of LEDs mounted on the MCPCB;
a transparent window mounted in the housing;
a multilayer stack of spacers made of a high compressive strength material positioned between the window and the MCPCB for engaging the window and carrying loads exerted by the window from external pressure; and
a pressure relief valve mounted in the housing to allow venting of one or more of the interior volumes.
10. The underwater lighting device of claim 9 , wherein the pressure relief valve provides selective permeability as a function of applied external pressure.
11. The underwater lighting device of claim 9 , further including a selectively permeable barrier element disposed in the housing.
12. The underwater lighting device of claim 11 , wherein the selectively permeable barrier element comprises a silicone material and/or an O-ring.
13. The underwater lighting device of claim 9 , wherein the pressure relief valve is an automatically actuated PRV.
14. The underwater lighting device of claim 9 , wherein the pressure relief valve is a manually actuated PRV.
15. The underwater lighting device of claim 9 , wherein the window comprises sapphire.
16. The underwater lighting device of claim 9 , wherein the window comprises acrylic.
17. The underwater lighting device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more volumes comprise an upper volume containing the LEDs and a second volume containing power and/or electronics circuitry to drive the LEDs.
18. The underwater light of claim 9 , further comprising a graphite material positioned between the MCPCB and a heat sink to transfer heat therebetween.