EP4685389A1

EP4685389A1 - Led retrofit lamp

Info

Publication number: EP4685389A1
Application number: EP24190923.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frank Giese; Jürgen MERTENS; Ralph Bertram
Original assignee: Lumileds LLC
Current assignee: Lumileds LLC
Priority date: 2024-07-25
Filing date: 2024-07-25
Publication date: 2026-01-28

Abstract

According to the invention, a lighting device (100) is provided, comprising: a housing (140); at least one light emitting element (120a,120b) arranged on a support structure (110); an air guiding channel configured to guide an air flow between at least one first opening of the housing (142) and at least one second opening of the housing (146); wherein at least one air source (130) configured to generate an air flow is arranged within the air guiding channel between the at least one first opening (142) and the at least one second opening (146), the at least one air source (130) separating the air guiding channel into a first channel section and a second channel section, the second channel section being arranged such that the air flow guided by the air guiding channel comes into thermal contact with at least part of the support structure (110).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a lighting device such as e.g. a light source for an automotive headlight.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lighting devices such as halogen lamps have been used as light sources for automotive headlights for many years. However, recent advances in light-emitting diode, LED, technology have enabled developments of lighting devices providing replacements for halogen lamps. Such lighting devices replacing halogen lamps may be referred to as LED retrofits as for example disclosed in WO 2022/026615 A1 .
While LED retrofits often allow for efficient halogen lamp replacements, at least in certain situations, heat usually produced by operating LEDs has to be guided away from operating LEDs. To this end, heatsinks may be used, i.e. components of the corresponding LED retrofits that usually are in thermal contact with corresponding LEDs and that are formed from a material with sufficiently high thermal conductivity, to guide heat away from the LEDs when operating. Such heatsinks for LED retrofits are typically relatively large and are currently often placed at one end of the LED retrofit.
However, at least in certain situations, there may be, e.g., mechanical and in particular spatial restrictions requiring a compact shape of the LED retrofits, thereby affecting the possibilities of using heatsinks in the aforementioned manner. Further, it is desirable for the LED retrofits to have a decent light output and lifetime.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of this, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device that allows for effectively cooling the operating LEDs of the lighting device while having a compact shape e.g. compatible with mechanical and in particular spatial restrictions. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lighting device achieving a desired light output and having a desired lifetime.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a lighting device is provided, comprising: a housing; at least one light emitting element arranged on a support structure; an air guiding channel configured to guide an air flow between at least one first opening of the housing and at least one second opening of the housing; wherein at least one air source configured to generate an air flow is arranged within the air guiding channel between the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening, the at least one air source separating the air guiding channel into a first channel section and a second channel section, the second channel section being arranged such that the air flow guided by the air guiding channel comes into thermal contact with at least part of the support structure.
It was found that in particular providing the air guiding channel guiding an air flow to come into thermal contact with at least part of the support structure, a beneficial cooling effect for the at least one light emitting element arranged on the support structure may be achieved, which may advantageously contribute to an enhanced lifetime of the at least one light emitting element, e.g., of at least one light emitting diode.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, an automotive headlight is provided, comprising a lighting device according to the first aspect.
Exemplary embodiments of the first and second aspect of the invention may have one or more of the properties described below.
In an exemplary embodiment, the lighting device is a light source for an automotive headlight, e.g. a retrofit lamp for automotive headlight applications. Thus, as explained further herein, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emitting element is or comprises at least one light-emitting diode, LED. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emitting element is configured to generate a high beam (e.g. by at least two LEDs) and/or a low beam (e.g. by at least two further LEDs) of the automotive headlight. In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the lighting device is provided with suitable means to be mounted to a vehicle, e.g. a car, a motorcycle or a truck. To this end, the lighting device comprises in particular adapter means for mounting the lighting device. In an exemplary embodiment, the adapter means comprises an adapter ring of dimensions according to corresponding regulations and standards, e.g., a cap according to IEC 60061. The adapter means may be part of or be connected to the housing of the lighting device. The housing may be a component of the lighting device that may provide in particular protection for one or more further components of the lighting device. In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure is arranged at least in part within at least part of the housing. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, at least in mounted condition of the lighting device, the housing encloses or encapsulates at least part of the support structure. It is to be noted that in an exemplary embodiment, the housing and the support structure are separate components of the lighting device. In this way, advantageous flexibility is provided in particular for attributing a main heat guiding function to the support structure, enabling a construction of the housing independently of this function, thereby enabling in particular fabrication of the housing from a different material.
While in certain embodiments, the housing may be formed of a material corresponding to the material of the support structure, e.g. from a metal, embodiments of the present disclosure attribute a main heat guiding function to the support structure, which may thus correspond to a main heat sink of the lighting device. In this way, it becomes possible to form at least part of the housing from a different material, such as a plastic material. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the housing may thus comprise a material with a thermal conductivity of less than 385 W/(m·K), in particular less than 205 W/(m·K), in particular less than 20 W/(m·K). In an exemplary embodiment, the housing is formed at least in part from a plastic material. It may even be formed, at least in part, from a transparent material, e.g. from a glass material and/or from a ceramic material and/or from transparent plastics materials, e.g. from polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and/or transparent silicones.
As mentioned, a main heat guiding function may be assigned to the support structure. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the support structure of the lighting device at least in part corresponds to or comprises a heatsink. The support structure may thus support cooling of the at least one light emitting element and of electronic components such as driver (e.g. LED driver and/or fan driver) electronics placed thereon. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the support structure is configured to guide heat generated by the at least one light emitting element at least away from the at least one light emitting element. In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure may be formed, at least in part, from a heat conductive material, in particular from a metal. In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure may thus comprise at least one material selected from copper, aluminum, and/or alloys of copper and/or aluminum, e.g. a copper insulated metallic substrate (Cu-IMS) material. Use of such material may be advantageous in that heat is guided away from the at least one light emitting element in a particularly efficient manner. The support structure may in an exemplary embodiment be formed from at least one (e.g., suitably bent) metal plate and/or may correspond to or comprise at least one Metal Core Printed Circuit Board (MCPCP). In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure may be formed by cold forming, extrusion molding, by turning processes and/or by milling processes. In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure may be formed as aluminum die cast. Extrusion molding is a process that allows forming the support structure in a non-complex way nevertheless allowing for sufficient production quality.
As mentioned, the at least one light emitting element is arranged on the support structure. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the support structure comprises a mounting surface configured to support and/or hold the at least one light emitting element. For example, the support structure may in an exemplary embodiment, comprise or correspond to, at least in part, an essentially flat member, e.g. with an elongated, e.g. essentially rectangular, shape, forming a mounting surface for supporting the at least one light emitting element. The lighting device may comprise more than one light emitting element, whereby one or more light emitting elements may be provided on opposing sides of the support structure, the opposing sides facing opposing directions. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the support structure comprises two sides with at least one light emitting element being arranged on either one of the two sides of the support structure. The support structure may thus comprise two mounting surfaces on opposing sides facing opposing directions for mounting, wherein at least one light emitting element is provided on a respective one of the two mounting surfaces.
The support structure may further provide electrical connection to the at least one light emitting element and/or to further electrical components provided on the support structure as needed. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the support structure at least comprises one or more contact portions or regions for electrically contacting the at least one light emitting element. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the support structure at least in part corresponds to or comprises a printed circuit board, PCB, and/or a printed wiring board, PWB. As a result, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emitting element is electrically connected to an electrical power supply and/or electrically controlled via the support structure, in particular via the PCB/PWB, and/or a leadframe and/or a metal piece. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emitting element may comprise an SMD-LED ("surface-mounted-device" -LED) and may, in an exemplary embodiment, be soldered to the PCB/PWB. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emitting element is provided onto the support structure via a surface-mount technology (SMT) process. In an exemplary embodiment, an LED driving circuit (driver electronics of the at least one light emitting element) and/or fan driver electronics (driver electronics of the at least one air source) and/or a constant current source is/are arranged on the support structure, e.g. on the PCB/PWB, thereby forming a PCB assembly (PCBA) and/or a PWB assembly (PWBA). An LED driving circuit may for example provide a constant current to the at least one light emitting element. The fan driver electronics may for example provide a constant voltage to the at least one air source. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source is electrically connected to the support structure by one or more cables.
In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure corresponds to or comprises at least one metal carrier. In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure comprises two metal carriers, being mutually electrically isolated. In this case, electrical contacts of the at least one light emitting element may respectively be electrically connected to corresponding ones of the at least two electrical carriers, in particular via ribbon-bonding.
In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emitting element is arranged in direct contact with the support structure, in particular wherein the at least one light emitting element is connected to the support structure via soldering and/or using an adhesive. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emitting element is arranged on the support structure with no further components of the lighting device being arranged in between the at least one light emitting element and the support structure. Only for example, attachment components such as glue, solder and/or parts of attachment means may be present in between the at least one light emitting element and the support structure. Alternatively or in addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emitting element is soldered and/or riveted and/or screwed to the support structure. Thus, the at least one light emitting element is in direct thermal contact with the support structure. Heat may thus be transferred from the at least one light emitting element to the support structure in an efficient and direct manner. In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) or a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), wherein the at least one light emitting element is arranged in direct contact with the PCB or PCBA, in particular wherein the at least one light emitting element is attached to the PCB or PCBA via soldering and/or using an adhesive.
In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emitting element is a light emitting diode (LED), for example a light emitting diode configured for emitting light in a color temperature range of 2500-7500K, in particular of 4000-7000K, in particular of 5000-6500K. Such light emitting diodes are suitable light sources in particular for automotive applications as they enable emitting light of suitable color at advantageous brightness. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emitting element is configured to emit light at a luminous flux of 600-2400 lumen (1m), in particular of 1350-1650 lm. Luminous flux ranges suitable for exemplary embodiments may be taken from UNECE RE5 or R37 for respective examples of a halogen lamp the lighting device, in particular an LED lamp, shall replace.
As mentioned, the lighting device comprises an air guiding channel configured to guide an air flow between at least one first opening of the housing and at least one second opening of the housing. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one first opening of the housing and/or the at least one second opening of the housing comprises or consists of a plurality of openings, e.g. formed by a plurality of holes or slits and/or by a grating or mesh, said holes, slits, grating and/or mesh for example being formed within a respective part of an outer envelope of the housing. In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening is configured for letting an air flow, e.g. the air flow flowing through the air guiding channel, flow into the housing. Further, in an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening is configured for letting said air flow flow out of the housing. For example, the at least one first opening may be configured for letting an air flow flow into the housing and/or the at least one second opening may be configured for letting an air flow flow out of the housing. Alternatively, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one second opening is configured for letting an air flow flow into the housing and/or the at least one first opening is configured for letting the air flow flow out of the housing. Either way, the at least one first and the at least one second opening together allow an air flow to flow into and out of the housing through the air guiding channel, thereby providing ventilation of the housing and thus of the lighting device. The air guiding channel may thus for example comprise or correspond to an air duct conveying air from the at least one first opening to the at least one second opening. To this end, in an exemplary embodiment, the air guiding channel comprises a plurality of inner air guiding faces configured to together guide an air flow from the at least one first opening to the at least one second opening, or vice versa. For example, respective subsets of the plurality of inner air guiding faces may be configured to together guide the air flow within respective sections of the air guiding channel.
As mentioned, at least one air source configured to generate an air flow is arranged within the air guiding channel. Being configured to generate an air flow may for example mean that the at least one air source generates an air flow (or air stream) when in operation. To this end, the at least one air source may comprise or correspond to a fan, for example an axial fan with an air flow being generated and output in a direction essentially parallel to the axis of rotation of the fan. Alternatively, the at least one air source may comprise or correspond to a radial fan with an air flow being generated and output in a direction essentially vertical to the axis of rotation of the fan. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source corresponds to a single, axial fan. This enables a reduced complexity of the lighting device. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source is mounted or attached to the housing. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the housing is configured to hold or support the at least one air source. To this end, in an exemplary embodiment, the housing comprises at least one air source cavity for receiving the at least one air source. The at least one air source being arranged within the air guiding channel may thus for example mean that the at least one air source cavity forms part of the the air guiding channel.
As mentioned, the at least one air source is arranged within the air guiding channel between the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening. Being arranged within the air guiding channel may for example mean that the at least one air source forms part of the air guiding channel. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, at least part of the at least one air source, in particular a hollow space comprised by the at least one air source, forms part of the air guiding channel. Being arranged in between the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening may for example be understood as referring to a positioning of the at least one air source with respect to the air flow. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source is located within the air flow guided by the air guiding channel. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source comprises an air inlet side on which air enters the at least one air source and an air outlet side on which air exits the at least one air source, and the air inlet side and the air outlet side of the at least one air source are both within the air flow guided by the air guiding channel. Thus, the at least one air source may for example be arranged inside the housing while maintaining sufficient air supply for the generation of an air flow.
In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source is configured to generate an air flow passing through the at least one first opening along a direction essentially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the lighting device and/or of the housing. The longitudinal direction of the lighting device and/or of the housing may for example correspond to a direction in which a spatial extension of the lighting device and/or of the housing is largest. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source and the at least one first opening of the housing are arranged such that the air flow passing through the at least one first opening of the housing enters or exits the housing laterally. In this way, a particularly compact shape of the lighting device may be realized.
As mentioned, the at least one air source separates the air guiding channel into a first channel section and a second channel section. Thereby, separating the air guiding channel into said sections is to be understood conceptually. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, there is a fluid connection in between the first channel section and the second channel section. In other words, the air guiding channel may be divided, in particular conceptually, into the into the first channel section and the second channel section by the at least one air source. The first channel section may for example correspond to a section of the air guiding channel adjacent to the at least one first opening. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the first channel section is arranged in between the at least one first opening and an air source section within which the at least one air source is arranged (e.g. in the at least one air source cavity). The second channel section may for example correspond to the remaining part of the air guiding channel besides the first channel section and the air source section. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the air guiding channel consists of the first channel section, the air source section and the second channel section. In an exemplary embodiment, the second channel section is arranged in between the air source section and the at least one second opening. In an exemplary embodiment in which the air flow generated by the at least one air source flows from the at least one first opening to the at least one second opening, the first channel section may for example be referred to as an air intake section and the second channel section may for example be referred to as an air distribution section. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source is fed with air via the at least one first opening and/or via the air intake section.
As mentioned, the second channel section is arranged such that the air flow guided by the air guiding channel comes into thermal contact with at least part of the support structure. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the support structure and the second channel section are arranged such that an air flow passing through the second channel section flows, in particular directly, over at least part of a surface of the support structure. To this end, in an exemplary embodiment, at least in mounted condition of the lighting device, the second channel section encloses or encapsulates at least part of the support structure. In this way, at least part of the heat transferred from the light emitting elements to the support structure, as described above, may in turn be transferred from the support structure to the air flow, thereby effectively supporting a cooling effect for the light emitting elements and of electronic components such as driver (e.g. LED driver and/or fan driver) electronics that may be placed thereon. The air flow may thus remove at least part of the heat generated by the at least one light emitting element. Thermally contacting the support structure rather than, e.g., the light emitting elements only by the air flow advantageously increases a surface provided for cooling since a surface of the support structure may be larger than the surface of the light emitting elements only. In this way, more heat may be transferred from the at least one light emitting element to the air flow. The second channel section being arranged such that the air flow guided by the air guiding channel comes into thermal contact with at least part of the support structure thus enables the support structure to function as an actively air-cooled, in particular internal, heat sink of the lighting device, thereby allowing to dispense with a dedicated, typically larger heat sink placed at one end of the lighting device, as described above.
In an exemplary embodiment, the air guiding channel thus forms part of an active air cooling system for transferring heat transferred from the at least one light emitting element to the support structure to an external space surrounding the housing and/or the lighting device. In this way, the air guiding channel allows for effectively cooling the lighting device and in particular the operating LEDs of the lighting device while ensuring a compact shape of the lighting device in particular compatible with existing spatial restrictions according to corresponding regulations and standards such as, e.g., according to UNECE RE5 and/or R37 and/or IEC 60061. It is noted that an air flow guided by the air guiding channel may in exemplary embodiments not only help to cool the at least one light emitting element but also electronic components such as driver electronics of the at least one light emitting element and/or of driver electronics of the at least one air source. As a result of effectively cooling the lighting device and in particular the operating LEDs, thermal stress within the lighting device may advantageously be reduced such that the lighting device further achieves a desired light output and provides a desired lifetime.
In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure is arranged at least in part within the second channel section. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, at least in mounted condition of the lighting device, the second channel section encloses or encapsulates at least part of the support structure. In particular by arranging the support structure within the second channel section, the second channel section may guide the air flow to come into thermal contact with the support structure. As a result, the second channel section (which may be referred to as an air distribution section) allows for distributing the air flow within the housing such that the air flow flows over a surface of the support structure when passing through the second channel section, thereby effectively cooling the lighting device and in particular the operating LEDs.
In an exemplary embodiment, the air guiding channel forms a closed, in particular air-tight, cavity from the at least one first opening of the housing to the at least one second opening of the housing. Thereby, a closed and in particular air-tight cavity from a first opening to a second opening may for example be understood as a cavity having no openings, e.g. sections permeable to air, apart from the first opening and the second opening. In an exemplary embodiment, the air guiding channel thus comprises a plurality of inner air guiding faces configured for sealing the air guiding channel, in particular in an air-tight manner, in between the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening. The air guiding channel forming a closed, in particular air-tight, cavity from the first opening to the second opening prevents (parts of) the air flow to leak out of the air guiding channel which would otherwise result in (parts of) the air to flow through the housing in an undesirable, e.g. random, manner. Preventing such undesirable air leakage allows to use (all of) the air flow for cooling the lighting device and in particular the operating LEDs particularly effectively.
In an exemplary embodiment, the lighting device further comprises at least one air deflection element, the at least one air deflection element being arranged in the air guiding channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air deflection element corresponds to or comprises at least one cooling fin, e.g. a heat sink fin as described further herein. It was found that by providing such further cooling element, in particular in form of a cooling fin, inside of the lighting device, in particular inside of the air guiding channel, advantageously contributes to a cooling effect for the lighting device.
In an exemplary embodiment, the second channel section of the air guiding channel comprises a nozzle section, wherein a cross-sectional area of the nozzle section is smaller than a cross-sectional area of at least one further subsection of the second channel section adjacent to the nozzle section, and wherein the support structure is arranged at least in part within the nozzle section. In other words, the second channel section may be conceptually divided into several subsections, including the nozzle section and at least one further subsection adjacent to the nozzle section. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one further subsection comprises an air outlet section arranged between the nozzle section and the at least one second opening and/or an air deflection section arranged between the nozzle section and the at least one air source. In an exemplary embodiment, the nozzle section is configured for influencing or controlling at least one characteristic, in particular a direction and/or a velocity, of the air flow, in particular together with the further subsection(s). For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the nozzle section, in particular together with the further subsection(s), is arranged so that a velocity of the air flow within the nozzle section is larger than a velocity of the air flow within the subsection(s) adjacent to the nozzle section. This may for example be achieved by choosing the cross-sectional areas of the nozzle section and the further subsection(s) in a suitable manner, as described above. With the support structure being arranged at least in part within the nozzle section such that, in an exemplary embodiment, the nozzle section encloses or encapsulates at least part of the support structure at least in mounted condition of the lighting device, a relatively large velocity of the air flow within the nozzle section allows to (air) cool the support structure in a particularly quick manner, thus effectively cooling the lighting device and in particular the operating LEDs. In other words, the nozzle section may not only guide but also intensify an air flow over a surface of the support structure, thus facilitating an improved cooling effect in particular within the nozzle section.
In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure comprises or corresponds to an essentially flat member arranged at least in part within a cavity formed within the nozzle section. In an exemplary embodiment, the essentially flat member comprised by or corresponding to the support structure divides a cavity formed within the nozzle section into two subsections, e.g. halves, such that an air flow flowing through the nozzle section flows over at least parts of two opposing surfaces of the support structure. In this way, a particularly effective cooling is achieved in the nozzle section. The essentially flat member may for example comprise a length and/or a height at least three times larger, in particular at least five times larger, in particular at least ten times larger than a width or thickness of the essentially flat member. In an exemplary embodiment, a cross section of the cavity formed within the nozzle section has an essentially trapezoidal shape which may, e.g., be essentially symmetrical and/or may have rounded edges. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more electronically active components, e.g. driver electronics and/or integrated circuits, arranged on the support structure are arranged on the support structure such as to be arranged within the nozzle section. In this way, in particular the electronically active components, which typically generate heat, are effectively cooled.
In an exemplary embodiment, a direction of an air flow passing through the nozzle section is essentially perpendicular to a direction of an airflow passing through the at least one first opening. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the direction of an air flow passing through the nozzle section is essentially parallel to the aforementioned longitudinal direction of the lighting device and/or of the housing. Thus, while the at least one air source and the at least one first opening may be arranged such that the air flow passing through the at least one first opening enters or exits the housing laterally, in an exemplary embodiment, the air flow flows through the nozzle section lengthwise with respect to the lighting device and/or the housing. In this way, a particularly compact shape of the lighting device may be realized while effectively cooling the lighting device.
In an exemplary embodiment, the second channel section of the air guiding channel further comprises an air deflection section in between the at least one air source and the nozzle section, wherein at least one air deflection element is arranged within the air deflection section, the at least one air deflection element being configured to deflect at least part of the air flow generated by the at least one air source towards the nozzle section. In other words, considering that, in an exemplary embodiment, the air flow passes through the at least one first opening and the at least one air source in a direction essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lighting device and/or of the housing, the at least one air deflection element may for example be configured to deflect at least part of the air flow into the longitudinal direction of the lighting device and/or of the housing, e.g. by an angle of approximately 90°. (Re-)directing the air flow in this way enables a particularly compact shape of the lighting device while effectively cooling the lighting device. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air deflection element comprises or corresponds to at least one, e.g., a plurality of, said heat sink fins (cooling fins), which may further support cooling of the lighting device. In an exemplary embodiment, an orientation (e.g. slope and/or pitch) of the at least one heat sink fin and/or a spacing in between pairs of respectively adjacent ones of at least two, e.g. of the plurality, of heat sink fins varies along the longitudinal direction of the lighting device and/or of the housing, in particular homogeneously. Heat sink fins having such an orientation and/or spacing have been found to guide the air flow in the desired manner particularly effectively and to advantageously contribute to a cooling effect.
In an exemplary embodiment, the housing further comprises at least one light emission opening allowing for light emitted by the at least one light emitting element to be emitted from the housing. In an exemplary embodiment, a respective shape of the at least one light emission opening essentially corresponds to a shape of the at least one light emitting element. In an exemplary embodiment, a thickness of respective side walls of the at least one light emission opening essentially corresponds to a thickness of the at least one light emitting element, e.g. such that a thickness of respective side walls of the at least one light emission opening deviates from the thickness of the at least one light emitting element by less than 30%, in particular less than 20%, in particular less than 10%. In an exemplary embodiment, respective side walls of the at least one light emission opening are arranged adjacent, in particular in proximity, e.g. within 1 mm, in particular within 0.5 mm, to respective side walls of the at least one light emitting element. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one light emission opening is sealed, in particular air-tight, with respect to the housing by means of a glue, in particular a thermally conductive glue. In this way, it is prevented that (parts of) the air flow leak out of the air guiding channel in the area of the light emitting elements. Preventing such undesirable air leakage allows to use (all of) the air flow for cooling the lighting device and in particular the operating LEDs particularly effectively.
In an exemplary embodiment, the housing further comprises a connecting flange dividing the housing lengthwise into a light emitting portion and a connector portion, the at least one light emitting element being arranged in the light emitting portion, wherein the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening are located in the light emitting portion. In an exemplary embodiment, the connecting flange defines a reference plane as specified in UNECE R37 and IEC 60061. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the light emitting portion of the housing comprises the at least one light emitting element, the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening. Dividing the housing lengthwise is to be understood conceptually and may for example mean to, conceptually, divide the housing along the aforementioned longitudinal direction of the housing. The connector portion may for example comprise or correspond to a portion containing one or more connector elements, e.g. for connecting the lighting device to a power source. The connecting flange may for example comprise or correspond to a flange for mounting the lighting device to a vehicle, e.g. a car, a motorcycle or a truck. To this end, in an exemplary embodiment, the connecting flange has dimensions according to corresponding regulations and standards, e.g. according to UNECE RE5 and/or R37 and/or IEC 60061. In an exemplary embodiment, the connecting flange thus is part of or corresponds to the aforementioned adapter means. In an exemplary embodiment, the connecting flange is formed by respective parts of respective housing halves of the housing, as further described herein to form the reference plane. In an exemplary embodiment, the connecting flange divides a space within which the lighting device is arranged into exactly two sub-spaces, wherein one of the sub-spaces contains the light emitting elements, and wherein the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening are both located within said sub-space containing the light emitting elements. By arranging the first opening(s) and the second opening(s) in the light emitting portion, a particularly compact shape of the lighting device may be achieved.
In an exemplary embodiment, the housing further comprises a connector cavity arranged in the connector portion and configured for receiving a conductor board, wherein the connector cavity is formed separately from, in particular air-tight in relation to, the air guiding channel. The connector cavity being formed separately from, in particular air-tight in relation to, the air guiding channel may for example mean that there is no opening and/or no fluid connection in between the air guiding channel and the connector cavity. Forming the connector cavity separately from, in particular air-tight in relation to, the air guiding channel prevents (parts of) the air flow to flow towards the connector portion which could otherwise result in (parts of) the air exiting the housing in an undesirable direction, e.g. towards an engine of a vehicle to which the lighting device is mounted. Preventing such undesirable air leakage allows to use (all of) the air flow for cooling the lighting device and in particular the operating LEDs particularly effectively.
In an exemplary embodiment, the conductor board at least in part corresponds to or comprises a printed circuit board, PCB, and/or a printed wiring board, PWB, or corresponding assemblies (PCBA/PWBA). Thus, while the support structure may for example correspond to a first PCB/PWB or PCBA/PWBA, the conductor board may for example correspond to a second PCB/PWB or PCBA/PWBA. In an exemplary embodiment, the LED driving circuit and/or the fan driver electronics is/are arranged, at least in part, on the conductor board. The LED driving circuit and/or the fan driver electronics may thus for example be arranged in part on a first PCB/PWB formed by the support structure and in part on a second PCB/PWB formed by the conductor board, thereby realizing a split driver architecture. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, at least part of driver electronics of the at least one light emitting element and/or of driver electronics of the at least one air source are provided on the at least one conductor board, and/or at least part of driver electronics of the at least one light emitting element and/or of driver electronics of the at least one air source are provided on the support structure. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, part of the LED driving circuit (driver electronics of the at least one light emitting element) and/or part of the fan driver electronics (driver electronics of the at least one air source) may be provided both on the conductor board and on the support structure. By splitting these driver electronics, respectively, in this way, e.g., positioning part of these driver electronics in a "front" and part of these driver electronics in a "back" of the lighting device, heat sources formed on the one hand by the at least one light emitting element and on the other hand by such driver electronics may be advantageously separated. For example, diodes provided e.g., at an entry stage of the LED driving circuit and/or of the fan driver electronics have been found to be heat sources due to corresponding electric losses. Therefore, it was found to be advantageous to provide parts of the LED driving circuit and/or of the fan driver electronics, e.g. at least one diode of the LED driving circuit and/or of the fan driver electronics, on the conductor board. It was found that such arrangement may advantageously enable dissipation of heat away from the support structure, e.g., to a backside of the lighting device.
In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure and the conductor board are electrically connected by one or more cables, thereby providing an electrical connection of the support structure and the conductor board. In an exemplary embodiment, the conductor board comprises a rectifier, e.g. a diode bridge. The conductor board comprising a rectifier allows to make a current entered polarity free, thereby enabling smooth operation of the electronic components. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more connector blades are mounted, in particular soldered, to the conductor board, thereby allowing for electrically connecting the conductor board e.g. to a wire harness plug of a car to which the lighting device is to be mounted.
In an exemplary embodiment, the one or more connector blades reach, at least in part, through the conductor board, thereby mechanically stabilizing the connector blade(s). The one or more connector blades may thus for example only partly reach through the conductor board or may completely reach through the conductor board, e.g. through one or more respective slits of the conductor board, and be mounted (e.g. soldered) to a back side of the conductor board opposite from a front side of the conductor board through which the one or more connector blades are inserted. In an exemplary embodiment, the conductor board is embedded, e.g. within the connector cavity, in a thermally conductive material, e.g. a thermally conductive glue, thereby allowing for heat dissipation from the housing via the embedding material by the one or more connector blades and/or the wire harness plug. In electronics, such an embedding of a conductor board in a thermally conductive material may also be referred to as potting. In an exemplary embodiment, the conductor board may comprise at least one material selected from copper, aluminum, and/or alloys of copper and/or aluminum, e.g. a copper or aluminum insulated metallic substrate (Cu-IMS or Al-IMS) material. Use of such material may be advantageous in that heat is guided away from electronic components on the conductor board in a particularly efficient manner.
In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source is configured to generate an air flow flowing from the at least one first opening to the at least one second opening. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, a direction of an air flow flowing through the air guiding channel is from the first opening(s) to the second opening(s). Yet put differently, in an exemplary embodiment, the air flow enters the housing at the first opening(s) and exits the housing at the second opening(s). It has been found that this direction of the air flow is particularly suitable for effectively cooling the lighting device. In addition, it has been found by the inventors that this direction of the air flow, exiting the housing at the second opening(s) (corresponding to a tip of the lighting device), may aid to heat up a transparent front plate or shield of a luminaire comprising the lighting device by using the heated-up air flow, in particular to effectively de-frost said front plate when using the lighting device in low temperature environments (e.g. during the winter season).
In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source is arranged essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, the longitudinal axis of the housing is essentially parallel to or lying in a main plane of the at least one air source. The main plane of the at least one air source may for example correspond to a plane of rotation of the at least one air source, e.g. a plane in which the at least one air source rotates. Yet put differently, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one air source lies lengthwise in the housing. It has been found that arranging the at least one air source essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing allows for a particularly compact shape of the lighting device.
In an exemplary embodiment, the support structure is in direct contact with the housing at least in sections. In particular, in an exemplary embodiment, the support structure is in, e.g. direct, thermal contact with the housing. Such a (direct) thermal contact between the support structure and the housing allows to transfer heat from the support structure to the housing which additionally supports an effective cooling of the lighting device.
In an exemplary embodiment, the housing comprises or consists of two mechanically joined housing halves. In other words, in an exemplary embodiment, two housing halves (or shells) are mechanically joined to form the housing. Mechanically joining the housing halves may for example comprise screwing, riveting, gluing and/or soldering the housing halves together and/or connecting said halves by means of a clip connection. In an exemplary embodiment, the two housing halves are mechanically joined by means of screws and, in particular self-aligning, screw holes. Mechanically joining two individually produced housing halves is less complex in terms of manufacturing than producing monobloc housings and thereby enables to manufacture the housing and thus the lighting device in a particularly economical manner.
In an exemplary embodiment, the housing is made at least in part from cast metal and/or from injection molded plastic. Cast metal may for example comprise or correspond to metal made by means of metal casting. Injection molded plastic may for example comprise or correspond to plastic made by means of injection molding. The injection molded plastic may in particular be thermally conductive. Cast metal and (thermally conductive) injection molded plastic are materials allowing for a particularly flexible and economical manufacturing of the housing and, thus, of the lighting device while providing a desired thermal conductivity.
In an exemplary embodiment, the housing comprises at least one alignment pin for aligning the support structure with respect to the housing. Accordingly, in an exemplary embodiment, the support structure comprises at least one alignment hole for aligning the support structure with respect to the housing, wherein the at least one alignment pin of the housing may reach, at least in part, through the at least one alignment hole of the support structure.
The features and example embodiments of the invention described above may equally pertain to the different aspects according to the present invention. In particular, with the disclosure of features relating to the lighting device according to the first aspect, also corresponding features relating to the automotive headlight according to the second aspect are disclosed.
It is to be understood that the presentation of embodiments of the invention in this section is merely exemplary and non-limiting.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale and are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1: exemplarily illustrates a lighting device according to an embodiment of the invention in a side view;
Fig. 2: exemplarily illustrates the lighting device of Fig. 1 in a further side view;
Fig. 3: exemplarily illustrates the lighting device of Fig. 1 in a perspective view;
Fig. 4: exemplarily illustrates the housing of the lighting device of Fig. 1 in a cross-sectional side view;
Fig. 5: exemplarily illustrates the lighting device of Fig. 1 in a cross-sectional perspective view;
Fig. 6a: exemplarily illustrates a front view of the housing of the lighting device of Fig. 1;
Figs. 6b, 6c: exemplarily illustrate the housing of the lighting device of Fig. 1 in two cross-sectional front views;
Fig. 6d: exemplarily illustrates a back view of the lighting device of Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

It is noted that throughout the figures, like reference numerals indicate corresponding or equal components.
Figs. 1 to 3 show an example of a lighting device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The lighting device 100 is an LED retrofit containing a connecting flange 141 and three connector blades 160 to connect the LED retrofit to an automotive headlight unit. The lighting device 100 includes a housing 140 comprising two housing halves joined by screws 151a, 152a and four LED modules 120a, 120b arranged on a support structure 110 (not visible in Figs. 1 to 3). The housing halves may for example be made from flow cast metal and/or injection molded plastic, the injection molded plastic in particular being thermally conductive. As can be seen, each of the LED modules 120a, 120b, which are examples of light emitting elements, comprises three sub-elements. The LED modules 120a, 120b in Figs. 1 to 3 comprise SMD-LEDs and may thus be electrically connected to the support structure 110 by, e.g., soldering thermal pads of the LED modules 120a, 120b, e.g. directly, onto pedestals formed on the support structure 110. Integrated in the housing 140 are two low beam shields 147, wherein each of the two housing halves includes a respective one of the two low beam shields 147. The low beam shields 147 allow for generating a low beam, e.g. of an automotive headlight to which lighting device 100 is connected, by suitably cutting off the light emitted by LED modules 120a.
The housing 140 comprises an air entry window 142 (an example of the at least one first opening) formed by bars integrated in an envelope of the housing 140 and serving as heat sink fins, and an air exit opening 146 (an example of the at least one second opening) formed as a heat sink mesh at the top of the lighting device 100. The air entry window 142 thus comprises an arrangement of ventilation slits to ensure sufficient air supply for an air source 130 (not visible in Figs. 1 to 3) generating an air flow flowing through the housing 140 to cool the LED modules 120a, 120b. The air exit opening 146 allows for releasing the air flow at the tip of lighting device 100. Both the heat sink fins of air entry window 142 as well as the heat sink mesh of air exit opening 146 advantageously support the cooling of the housing, e.g. by being in, in particular direct, thermal contact to the support structure 110, while preventing the entry of unwanted obstacles into the air guiding channel. Adjacent to the LED modules 120a, 120b, the housing 140 comprises a nozzle section 144, as further described herein.
While not shown in Figs. 1 to 3, in an exemplary embodiment, the lighting device 100 further comprises driver electronics configured to operate electronic components of the lighting device, e.g. the at least one air source and/or the LED modules and/or further electronic components depending on a particular application. Such driver electronics may be arranged on the support structure 110 and/or (e.g. in case that driver electronics comprise subcomponents) on a separate PCB.
Figs. 4 and 5 show cross-sectional side (Fig. 4) and perspective (Fig. 5) views of the lighting device 100 (Fig. 5) and of the housing 140 of the lighting device 100 (Fig. 4). For illustrational reasons, support structure 110 and PCBA 115 shown in Fig. 5 are not cut in the cross-sectional view.
As can be seen in Fig. 4, housing 140 comprises an air guiding channel configured to guide an air flow between the air entry window 142 and the air exit opening 146. Said air guiding channel forms a closed, air-tight cavity from the air entry window 142 to the air exit opening 146. The air guiding channel shown in Fig. 4 may be conceptually divided into a first channel section and a second channel section separated by an air source cavity 155 configured for receiving an air source 130. The first channel section may for example correspond to a section of the air guiding channel adjacent to the air entry window 142, e.g. in between air entry window 142 and air source cavity 155. The first channel section may thus be referred to as an air intake section. As it is illustrated by air flow 15, the air flow entering the air entry window 142 may spread within the air intake section before passing through an air source 130 arranged within air source cavity 155. The second channel section may for example comprise a part of the air guiding channel containing heat sink fins 143 (or cooling fins, these fins being an example of air deflection elements), a nozzle section 144, and an air outlet section (an example of a further subsection of the second channel section) reaching from the nozzle section 144 up to the air exit opening 146. The second channel section may thus be referred to as an air distribution section as it distributes the air flow generated by and exiting the air source 130 throughout the rest of the housing. As can be seen in Fig. 5, support structure 110, which in the lighting device 100 corresponds to an essentially flat member, is arranged at least in part within the second channel section, mainly within the nozzle section 144, in particular within a cavity formed within the nozzle section 144, and the air outlet section. As can be seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the part of the air guiding channel containing the heat sink fins 143, which is an example of an air deflection section (a further example of a further subsection of the second channel section), is located in between the air source cavity 155 (or the air source 130) and the nozzle section 144. Heat sink fins 143 are tilted such as to deflect at least part of the air flow guided through the air guiding channel towards the nozzle section 144 (an example of being configured to deflect at least part of the air flow generated by the at least one air source towards the nozzle section). As can be seen, an orientation of heat sink fins 143 and a spacing in between pairs of respectively adjacent ones of the heat sink fins 143 varies along the longitudinal direction of the lighting device 100 and/or of the housing 140 approximately homogeneously. Heat sink fins having such an orientation and/or spacing have been found to guide the air flow in the desired manner particularly effectively. In addition, these heat sink fins or cooling fins being arranged in the air guiding channel was found to advantageously contribute to a cooling as heat carried by air through the air guiding channel can advantageously transported away via said cooling fins e.g. towards a housing in contact with the cooling fins.
As can be seen in Fig. 4, a height and thus the cross-sectional area of the nozzle section 144 is smaller than a height and thus the cross-sectional area of the air deflection section containing the heat sink fins 143 and the air outlet section for letting the air flow exit at air exit opening 146. For the air outlet section, this is illustrated by air flow 25 extending over essentially the whole height of the housing 140. As a result, a velocity of the air flow within the nozzle section 144 will be larger than a velocity of the air flow within the air deflection section and within the air outlet section. With the support structure 110 being arranged in part within the nozzle section 144, this relatively large velocity of the air flow within the nozzle section 144 allows to (air) cool the support structure 110 in a particularly quick manner, thus effectively cooling the lighting device 100 and in particular the operating LED modules 120a, 120b. In other words, the nozzle section 144 may not only guide but also intensify an air flow over a surface of the support structure 110, thus facilitating an improved cooling effect in particular within the nozzle section 144.
As can further be seen in Fig. 4, a direction 20 of the air flow passing through the nozzle section 144 (in Fig. 4 from right to left) - which corresponds to a direction 30 of the air flow exiting the air exit opening 146 - is essentially perpendicular to a direction 10 of the air flow passing through the air entry window 142 (in Fig. 4 from top to bottom). As described, this construction enables a particularly compact shape of the lighting device 100. As can be seen in Fig. 4, housing 140 further comprises light emission openings 145 that allow the LED modules 120a, 120b to emit light from the support structure 110 through the light emission openings 145. As can further be seen in Figs. 4 and 5, housing 140 comprises an alignment pin 150a for accurately aligning the support structure 110 within housing 140.
Housing 140 further comprises a connecting flange 141 having dimensions in accordance with the relevant regulations and standards (e.g. UNECE RE5 and/or R37 and/or IEC 60061) and dividing the housing 140 lengthwise into a light emitting portion (in Figs. 4 and 5 on the left side) and a connector portion (in Figs. 4 and 5 on the right side). Connecting flange 141 is formed by respective parts of the housing halves of the housing 140 and may also be referred to as a center ring. The LED modules 120a, 120b and, likewise, both the air entry window 142 and the air exit opening 146 are arranged in the light emitting portion (i.e. in Figs. 4 and 5 on the left side of connecting flange 141). In this way, lighting device 100 has a particularly compact shape.
Housing 140 further comprises a connector cavity 148 arranged in the connector portion and receiving a PCBA 115 (an example of a conductor board). As shown in Fig. 4, connector cavity 148 is formed separately from and in particular air-tight in relation to the air guiding channel. Forming connector cavity 148 separately from and in particular air-tight in relation to the air guiding channel prevents (parts of) the air flow to exit housing 140 in an undesirable direction, e.g. towards an engine of a vehicle to which the lighting device is mounted (towards the right side in Fig. 4). Connector blades 160 partly reach through PCBA 115 and are soldered to PCBA 115 to allow for a connection of the lighting device 100, e.g. to a wire harness plug of a car to which lighting device 100 is to be mounted.
As can be seen in Fig. 4, air source 130 generates an air flow flowing from the air entry window 142 to the air exit opening 146. As described, this air flow direction has been found to be particularly suitable for effectively cooling the lighting device. In addition, it has been found by the inventors that this air flow direction (in Fig. 4 to the left) aids in heating up a transparent front plate or shield (not shown in Fig. 4) of a luminaire comprising the lighting device 100, thereby de-frosting said front plate when operating the lighting device at low temperatures (e.g. in winter). As can be seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the air source 130 is arranged within air source cavity 155 essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing 140. Arranging the air source 130 within housing 140 in this way allows for a particularly compact shape of the lighting device 100. While in Fig. 5, a thin gap is illustrated in between the support structure 110 and the housing 140, wherein the support structure 110 may be brought into thermal contact with the housing 140 e.g. using a thermally conductive glue, alternatively, the support structure 110 may be in direct, in particular thermal, contact with the housing 140 at least in sections.
Fig. 6a shows a front view of housing 140. As can be seen, housing 140 consists of two housing halves visually separated by a mostly vertical line, and has a connecting flange 141 formed as a center ring and an air exit opening 146 formed as a heat sink mesh. Figs. 6b and 6c show housing 140 in two cross-sectional front views for the two cross-sections illustrated in Fig. 4 as dotted vertical lines. As can be seen, housing 140 comprises two alignment pins 150a, 150b for accurately aligning the support structure 110 (not visible in Figs. 6b, 6c) within housing 140. As can be seen in Fig. 6b, housing 140 further comprises screw hole 152 for inserting screw 152a (not shown in Fig. 6b), thereby mechanically joining the two housing halves of housing 140. As can be seen in Fig. 6c, housing 140 further comprises a low beam shield 147 for cutting off light emitted by LED modules 120a (not shown in Fig. 6c) in order to generate a low beam, e.g. of an automotive headlight. As can further be seen in Figs. 6b and 6c, housing 140 comprises a nozzle section 144 within which support structure 110 (not shown in Figs. 6b and 6c) is arranged in part in order to effectively cool support structure 110 by an air flow guided through nozzle section 144, as described herein. As can be seen in Figs. 6b and 6c, a cross section of the cavity formed within the nozzle section 144 is essentially trapezoidal, essentially symmetrical and has rounded edges. Fig. 6d shows a back view of lighting device 100 including connecting flange 141 of housing 140, PCBA 115 and three connector blades 160 inserted into PCBA 115 for mechanical stability and electronical connection.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS:

Air flow directions	10, 15, 20, 25, 30
Lighting device	100
Support structure	110
PCBA	115

LED modules	120a, 120b
Air source	130
Housing	140
Connecting flange	141
Air entry window	142
Heat sink fins	143
Nozzle section	144
Light emission openings	145
Air exit opening	146
Low beam shields	147
Connector cavity	148
Alignment pins	150a, 150b
Screw holes	151, 152
Screws	151a, 152a
Air source cavity	155
Connector blades	160

Claims

A lighting device (100) comprising:
a housing (140);

at least one light emitting element (120) arranged on a support structure (110);

an air guiding channel configured to guide an air flow between at least one first opening (142) of the housing and at least one second opening (146) of the housing;

wherein at least one air source (130) configured to generate an air flow is arranged within the air guiding channel between the at least one first opening (142) and the at least one second opening (146), the at least one air source (130) separating the air guiding channel into a first channel section and a second channel section, the second channel section being arranged such that the air flow guided by the air guiding channel comes into thermal contact with at least part of the support structure (110).
The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the support structure (110) is arranged at least in part within the second channel section.
The lighting device according to any of claims 1 and 2, wherein the air guiding channel forms a closed, in particular air-tight, cavity from the at least one first opening (142) of the housing to the at least one second opening (146) of the housing.
The lighting device according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising at least one air deflection element (143), in particular at least one cooling fin, the at least one air deflection element (143) being arranged in the air guiding channel.
The lighting device according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second channel section of the air guiding channel comprises a nozzle section (144), wherein a cross-sectional area of the nozzle section (144) is smaller than a cross-sectional area of at least one further subsection of the second channel section adjacent to the nozzle section (144), and wherein the support structure (110) is arranged at least in part within the nozzle section (144).
The lighting device according to claim 5, wherein the support structure (110) comprises or corresponds to an essentially flat member arranged at least in part within a cavity formed within the nozzle section (144).
The lighting device according to any of claims 5 or 6, wherein a direction (20) of an air flow passing through the nozzle section (144) is essentially perpendicular to a direction (10) of an airflow passing through the at least one first opening (142).
The lighting device according to any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the second channel section of the air guiding channel further comprises an air deflection section in between the at least one air source (130) and the nozzle section (144), wherein the at least one air deflection element (143) is arranged within the air deflection section, the at least one air deflection element (143) being configured to deflect at least part of the air flow generated by the at least one air source (130) towards the nozzle section (144).
The lighting device according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the housing (140) further comprises a connecting flange (141) dividing the housing (140) lengthwise into a light emitting portion and a connector portion, the at least one light emitting element (120) being arranged in the light emitting portion, wherein the at least one first opening (142) and the at least one second opening (146) are located in the light emitting portion.
The lighting device according to any of claims 1 to 9, further comprising at least one conductor board (115), wherein at least part of driver electronics of the at least one light emitting element and/or of driver electronics of the at least one air source are provided on the at least one conductor board (115), and/or wherein at least part of driver electronics of the at least one light emitting element and/or of driver electronics of the at least one air source are provided on the support structure.
The lighting device according to claim 10, wherein the housing (140) further comprises a connector cavity (148) arranged in the connector portion and configured for receiving the conductor board (115), wherein the connector cavity (148) is formed separately from, in particular air-tight in relation to, the air guiding channel.
The lighting device according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one air source (130) is configured to generate an air flow flowing from the at least one first opening (142) to the at least one second opening (146).
The lighting device according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the at least one air source (130) is arranged essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing (140).
The lighting device according to any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the housing (140) comprises or consists of two mechanically joined housing halves.
Automotive headlight comprising the lighting device according to any of claims 1 to 14.