US 7976196

Patent Overview — US 7,976,196 B2

Title: Method of forming LED-based light and resulting LED-based light

Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US7976196/en

Bibliographic data (as listed): Application US12/169,918; priority/filing date 2008-07-09; publication date 2011-07-12; inventors John Ivey and David L. Simon; original assignee Altair Engineering Inc.; current assignee listed as Ilumisys Inc. Legal status listed as active, with adjusted expiration 2029-02-24. A later PCT filing (PCT/US2009/048623) and later US continuations (US13/153,818; US13/602,953) are also noted in the family data. Classification includes F21K9/27 (retrofit light sources substituting for fluorescent tubes), F21K9/90 (methods of manufacture), and various F21V29/xx heat-sink subclasses.

Purpose. The patent addresses LED-based tube lights intended as one-for-one replacements for conventional fluorescent tube lights. Conventional fluorescent tubes present disposal problems due to toxic materials in the glass tube, and LEDs generate heat during operation that is detrimental to their performance. Existing LED tube lights may use heat sinks with projections to increase surface area, formed by extruding aluminum billets through a die.

Plain-language scope (from the supplied text). The described invention provides an LED-based replacement light for a fluorescent fixture that includes a heat sink having a high surface-area-to-width ratio, shaped from a flat sheet of thermally conductive material. Correspondingly, the method includes shaping such a heat sink from a sheet of highly thermally conductive material. The prior-art keywords listed are heat sink, LED/LEDs, light, and "longitudinally extending," and the title indicates both a method of forming the light and the resulting light.

What this excerpt does not establish. The supplied text is explicitly marked as an excerpt with omitted text; it does not include the full claim set, the detailed description, drawing content, or any prior-art references. Because of that, no specific claim limitations, claim counts, or claim scope beyond the quoted phrases can be confirmed, and the classification entries above reflect indexing rather than adjudicated scope. Bibliographic entries are labeled as assumptions by the source itself regarding priority date and legal status. This overview deliberately does not address litigation, assignments beyond those listed, validity, or prior art.