Lighting system with a cooling device and an optical body

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling device (10) for at least one light source (110) located in a lighting system (100) and having a cooling body (20), which comprises at least one contact surface (22) for absorbing heat from the at least one light source (110) and at least one cooling element (24) for emitting the absorbed heat, characterized in that the cooling body (20) has a mechanical interface (26) which is designed for an optional arrangement of counter-interfaces (66) of at least two different optical components (50).

Claims

1. A cooling system comprising: a cooling body, said cooling body comprising: at least one light source; at least one cooling element for emitting absorbed heat, the at least one cooling element projecting outwardly from the cooling body; a contact surface opposing the at least one cooling element for absorbing heat from the at least one light source; at least three external side portions each having an abutment surface, wherein each abutment surface includes a rib that protrudes outwardly from each abutment surface; and at least a first optical component and a second optical component, each of said optical components comprising at least three internal side portions each having a second abutment surface, wherein each second abutment surface includes a groove that is recessed into each second abutment surface; wherein the first and second optical components are installed on either: (i) the same vehicle at different locations, or (ii) on different vehicles; and wherein a user may selectively install the cooling body into either the first or second optical component, wherein upon said installation, said grooves in the selected optical component receive and secure said ribs of the cooling body such that the cooling body is secured in the selected optical component.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the rib is tapered in a mounting direction in order to increase the guiding force between the abutment surface and the second abutment surface.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1 wherein the optical component includes an optical body that includes section-wise at least one of the following: a light-transmitting component, a total internal reflection body, a reflector, and a lens or lens system.

4. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein a circuit board is provided with the at least one light source, which is especially arranged in such a way that it is connected to a contact surface of a cooling body of the cooling device.

Description

(1) The present invention is explained in more detail by means of the figures of the attached drawings. The terms “left”, “right”, “top side” and “bottom side” used in the figures refer to an alignment of the figures with normally readable reference numerals. The following diagrams are shown:

(2) FIG. 1 a first embodiment of an invention-based lighting system,

(3) FIG. 2 an embodiment of an invention-based cooling device,

(4) FIG. 3 a further embodiment of an invention-based cooling device,

(5) FIG. 4 a further embodiment of an invention-based lighting system,

(6) FIG. 5 a further embodiment of an invention-based lighting system,

(7) FIG. 6 a rear view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5,

(8) FIG. 7 a partial representation of an invention-based lighting system,

(9) FIG. 8 a further representation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7,

(10) FIG. 9 a further embodiment of an invention-based lighting system, and

(11) FIG. 10 a further embodiment of an invention-based lighting system.

(12) FIG. 1 clearly shows a basic concept of the present invention. For example, the figure shows a cooling device 10, which has on its bottom side a contact surface 22 and on its top side a plurality of rib-like cooling elements 24. The cooling elements 24 and the contact surface 22 are components of a single cooling body 20, which preferably consists of metal, in particular aluminium or copper, or of plastic material. The lower left side of FIG. 1 clearly shows that a mechanical interface 26 is provided on both sides of the cooling body 20. In this case, the mechanical interface 26 is designed in the form of a rib 28 and has on its top side and on its bottom side, respectively, an abutment surface 26a.

(13) In addition, on its left side the embodiment of FIG. 1 has the possibility of an optical component 50. The optical body 60 is provided with two basic components. For example, in the lower region of the optical body 60 an optically active surface faces backwards, away from the observer. On the top side, in roof-like structure of the optical body 60, the counter-interface is shown on the internal side. In this case, the counter-interface 66 is designed in the form of a groove 68 and has counter-abutment surfaces 66a on the top side and the bottom side. The mounting direction of the cooling device 10 is depicted by a thick arrow and reference sign M.

(14) Moreover, in this embodiment a circuit board 70 is provided which comprises light sources 110 pointed downward (not shown). Together with the cooling device 10, it is inserted into the counter-interface 66. The insertion takes place in mounting direction M. This results in a fixed arrangement, in particular, it fixes the cooling device 10 in relation to the circuit board 70 and especially in relation to the optical component 50.

(15) After assembling the embodiment of FIG. 1, a light system 100 is produced, which is shown in FIGS. 4, 9 and 10. FIGS. 4, 9 and 10, respectively, show a light system 100 in which the cooling device 10 is mounted on the optical component 50. In all three cases, the cooling elements 24 are located on the top side of the cooling device 10. The figures also show optically active surfaces 62 of the cooling body 60, which can be provided in a variety of ways with different interaction scenarios for the emitting light.

(16) FIGS. 1 and 2 show two different embodiments of an invention-based cooling device 10. Preferably, the cooling device 10 is provided with identical interfaces 26 so that a variety of different cooling devices 10 can be selected, depending on the number and output of the light sources 110 on the circuit board 70. FIG. 2 shows an arrangement of longitudinal ribs and in FIG. 3 pin-like extensions are used. Besides heat dissipation, in all cases the cooling device 10 can also be modified optically, so that aspects of design can also be taken into consideration.

(17) FIGS. 5 and 6 show a further embodiment of the invention-based light system 100. While the remaining figures show an indirect effect of the light, in this case it is provided that the light of the light sources 110 is directly affected in the optical body 60. The optical body 60 is designed in the form of a light-conducting component and comprises an optically active surface 62 as an output surface in a cushion pattern. Also here the light sources 110 are arranged on a circuit board 70, which are in full contact with a contact surface 22 of the cooling device 10. In this embodiment, the optical component 50 has counter-interfaces 66 in the form of hook-shaped extensions. These counter-interfaces 66 are slipped over respective planar portions as mechanical interfaces 26 of the cooling body 20, which results in the mounted situations shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

(18) FIGS. 7 and 8 show partial representations which clearly depict the circuit board 70. Each representation shows two light sources 110 in the form of LEDs which are on the top in full contact with the cooling body 20 of the cooling device 10.

(19) The embodiments described above depict the present invention in an exemplary manner. Wherever technically practical, individual properties of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another without leaving the scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE LIST

(20) 10 cooling device 20 cooling body 22 contact surface 24 cooling element 26 mechanical interface 26a abutment surface 28 rib 50 optical component 60 optical body 62 optically active surface 66 counter-interface 66a counter-abutment surface 68 groove 70 circuit board 100 light system 110 light source M mounting direction