IP Library Granted Patent US 10,969,669
Granted Patent B2
US 10,969,669 · App. 16/915,003 · Granted Apr 6, 2021

Light assembly for a projector

Inventor: George Erik McMillan (Hickory, NC)
G03B21/2033F21K9/235F21V17/06F21V17/12F21V23/02F21V23/06F21V29/67F21V29/713G03B21/16G03B21/208
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,969,669
App. No.
16/915,003
Granted
Apr 6, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, a light assembly configured to be installed in a movie theatre projector includes an emitter housing with an LED emitter plate that emits a beam of light and a lens assembly. The light assembly also includes a cooling assembly configured to dissipate heat from the LED emitter plate. The a cooling assembly includes a cooling fluid jacket coupled to the LED emitter plate, where the cooling fluid jacket comprises a metal layer enclosing a hollow path for cooling fluid, and where the cooling fluid jacket is configured to allow the cooling fluid to pass through cooling fluid jacket, thereby drawing heat from the LED emitter plate. The light assembly also includes a heat sink and a cooling fan. The cooling assembly further includes cooling sections to cool the cooling fluid that flows out of the cooling fluid jacket.

Claims (36)

1. A light assembly configured to be installed in a projector, the light assembly comprising:

an adaptor configured to mechanically couple to a bulb mount of the projector;

at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED) emitter;

a heat sink configured to dissipate heat from the at least one LED emitter;

a cooling device configured to transfer heat away from the heat sink;

a lens mounting unit; and

a lens configured to receive and redirect light emitted from the at least one LED emitter, wherein the lens is attached to the lens mounting unit.

2. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cooling device is a fan or a liquid circulating system.

3. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cooling device comprises one or more elements connected to the heat sink.

4. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one LED emitter is connected to the heat sink.

5. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lens assembly is configured to collimate light emitted from the at least one LED emitter.

6. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lens assembly is configured to adjust at least one of a size and a pitch of the beam of light emitted from the at least one LED emitter.

7. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adaptor comprises a cylindrical extension.

8. The light assembly of claim 7 , wherein the cylindrical extension comprises screw threading configured to mate with screw threading of an internal surface of the bulb mount of the projector.

9. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adaptor is configured receive power from the bulb mount when the adaptor is mechanically coupled to the bulb mount.

10. A light assembly configured to be installed in a projector, the light assembly comprising:

an adaptor configured to mechanically couple to a bulb mount of the movie theatre projector;

an emitter housing that comprises an emitter plate;

at least one LED directly or indirectly attached to the emitter plate and configured to emit a beam of light;

a lens assembly configured to receive and redirect light emitted from the at least one LED; and

a cooling assembly configured to dissipate heat from the LED emitter plate, wherein the cooling assembly comprises:

a heat sink coupled to the emitter plate, wherein the heat sink is configured to draw heat from the LED emitter plate.

11. The light assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a first cooling device coupled to the heat sink.

12. The light assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first cooling device is a fan.

13. The light assembly of claim 10 , wherein the heat sink comprises one or more thermal transfer pads.

14. The light assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first cooling device has one or more cooling elements disposed around a portion of the periphery of the first cooling device.

15. The light assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first cooling device comprises a cooling jacket coupled to the heat sink, and wherein the first cooling device is configured to run cooling fluid through the cooling jacket.

16. The light assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first cooling device is located between the heat sink and the emitter plate.

17. The light assembly of claim 15 , further comprising one or more sensors that detect temperature information and send the temperature information to a control system of the light system.

18. The light assembly of claim 17 , wherein the control system controls the flow of fluid through the cooling jacket based upon the temperature information.

19. The light system of claim 15 , wherein the cooling jacket comprises internal flow path configured to flow the cooling fluid through the flow jacket.

20. A light assembly configured to be installed in a projector, the light assembly comprising:

an adaptor configured to mechanically couple to a bulb mount of the projector;

at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED) emitter;

a cooling device configured to dissipate or transfer heat away from the at least one LED emitter; and

a lens configured to receive and redirect light emitted from the at least one LED emitter, wherein the lens is attached to a lens mounting unit.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2021
From: MCMILLAN, GEORGE ERIK
To: EPIC UNIVERSAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 058246/0251 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 29, 2021
From: MCMILLAN, GEORGE ERIK
To: EPIC UNIVERSAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 058226/0229 →
Continuity (8)
Continuation 16747166 · Jan 20, 2020
Continuation 16550573 · Aug 26, 2019
Continuation 16298239 · Mar 11, 2019
Continuation In Part 16130305 · Sep 13, 2018
Continuation In Part 15941583 · Mar 30, 2018
Continuation In Part 15467712 · Mar 23, 2017
Provisional Application 62312101 · Mar 23, 2016
Related Publication 20200401029A1 · Dec 24, 2020