Efficient illumination system for legacy street lighting systems

Abstract

An LED lamp for outdoor and large space lighting, particularly for streets, warehouses car parks and the like, is adapted for fitting into legacy light fittings designed for sodium bulbs and the like. The LED lamp includes light emitting diodes arranged over a surface of the lamp, is rotatably connected through a rotatable electrical connection to a screw-in adaptor for insertion into a legacy screw-in socket, such that the screw in adaptor is rotatable independently of the lamp, so that the legacy screw in socket can be used even though the light fitting is too small to allow rotation of the LED lamp. Additional variants provide for cooling airflow through the light fitting, for temperature control of the LEDs, and for failure protection, to ensure a longest possible lamp lifetime.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lighting device comprising an LED lamp for fitting into a light fitting having a screw-in socket, useful for outdoor or large space lighting, the LED lamp comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged over a surface of the lamp, the lamp comprising a rotatable electrical connection and a screw in adaptor, the lamp being rotatably connected through said rotatable electrical connection and said screw-in adaptor by insertion into the screw-in socket, such that the screw in adaptor is rotatable independently of the lamp, the independent rotation of the screw-in adaptor thereby making an electrical connection through said socket even if the light fitting is insufficiently sized to allow rotation therein of the LED lamp. wherein said rotatable connection to said screw in adaptor comprises an inner and outer concentric ring on a first side of said connection, the concentric rings having a gap therebetween, and a third concentric ring on a second side of said connection, said third concentric ring being slidable into said gap to be snapped into position between said first and second concentric rings. 
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat sink thermally coupled to said surface for providing cooling. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 4 , further comprising a fan for driving cool air over said heat sink, said fan configured to draw said cool air from a first hole inserted in a closed fitting and to drive said air past said heat sink to a second hole inserted in said closed light fitting. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat sink thermally coupled to said surface, the heat sink comprising a jet cooler for circulating air about fins of said heat sink, said jet cooler comprising a vibratable membrane for driving said circulation. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , said lamp being placed externally of a lighting cover. 
     
     
         6 . A lighting device comprising an LED lamp for fitting into a light fitting having a screw-in socket, useful for outdoor or large space lighting, the LED lamp comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged over a surface of the lamp, the lamp comprising a rotatable electrical connection and a screw in adaptor and being rotatably connected using said rotatable electrical connection through said screw-in adaptor to the screw-in socket, such that the screw in adaptor is rotatable independently of the lamp, the independent rotation of the screw-in adaptor thereby making an electrical connection through said socket even if the light fitting is insufficiently sized to allow rotation therein of the LED lampsaid lamp being built around a cover dimensioned for placing over an opening of said closed light fitting, the lamp being built such that said surface with said light emitting diodes is on a first side of said cover and said controlling electronics is on a second side of said cover, and said first side is placed to face outwardly of said closed light fitting. 
     
     
         7 . A lighting device comprising an LED lamp for fitting into a light fitting having a screw-in socket, useful for outdoor or large space lighting, the LED lamp comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged over a surface of the lamp, the lamp further comprising a rotatable electrical connection and a screw-in adaptor, the lamp being rotatably connected using said rotatable electrical connection via said screw-in adaptor for insertion into the screw-in socket, such that the screw in adaptor is rotatable independently of the lamp, the independent rotation of the screw-in adaptor thereby making an electrical connection through said socket even if the light fitting is insufficiently sized to allow rotation therein of the LED lamp, said lamp being built around a cover dimensioned for placing over an opening of said closed light fitting, the lamp being built such that said surface with said light emitting diodes is on an external side of said cover and said controlling electronics is connected on said external side with said light emitting diodes. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature detector and being configured with a control loop to maintain said light emitting diodes substantially at predefined operating temperatures over time. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , said lamp further comprising a transceiver for a wireless or power-line connection for remote control and monitoring, or for data transfer. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 11 , further configured to allow remote controlling of an intensity level of said lamp. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , further configured to receive input from a movement detector for detecting movement in a vicinity of said device, and wherein said lamp is controllable for setting to a relatively high illumination state when movement is detected in said vicinity and to a relatively low illumination state when movement is not detected in said vicinity. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 13 , connected to other devices in a network, and configured to project detected movements such that individual device are switched on and off to provide advance light paths to detected pedestrians or vehicles. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a camera mounted with said lamp, and connected to receive power via said screw-in adaptor.