EP1443567A2 - Dispositif émetteur modulaire et son procédé de manufacture - Google Patents

Dispositif émetteur modulaire et son procédé de manufacture Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1443567A2
EP1443567A2 EP04001125A EP04001125A EP1443567A2 EP 1443567 A2 EP1443567 A2 EP 1443567A2 EP 04001125 A EP04001125 A EP 04001125A EP 04001125 A EP04001125 A EP 04001125A EP 1443567 A2 EP1443567 A2 EP 1443567A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
emitting source
covering element
optical concentrator
support means
partially
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP04001125A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1443567A3 (fr
EP1443567B1 (fr
Inventor
Adriana Disaro'
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
BIBITECH S.P.A.
Original Assignee
BIBITECH SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by BIBITECH SpA filed Critical BIBITECH SpA
Publication of EP1443567A2 publication Critical patent/EP1443567A2/fr
Publication of EP1443567A3 publication Critical patent/EP1443567A3/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1443567B1 publication Critical patent/EP1443567B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21V31/00—Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements
    • F21V31/04—Provision of filling media
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21K—NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21K9/00—Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21W—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
    • F21W2131/00—Use or application of lighting devices or systems not provided for in codes F21W2102/00-F21W2121/00
    • F21W2131/30—Lighting for domestic or personal use
    • F21W2131/308—Lighting for domestic or personal use for aquaria
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21W—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
    • F21W2131/00—Use or application of lighting devices or systems not provided for in codes F21W2102/00-F21W2121/00
    • F21W2131/40—Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use
    • F21W2131/401—Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use for swimming pools
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
    • F21Y2115/00—Light-generating elements of semiconductor light sources
    • F21Y2115/10—Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Definitions

  • the present invention can be applied in the field of the artificial lighting both for internal and external environments and, more generally, in the field of the electromagnetic radiation sources; its particular object is a modular emitter device and a manufacturing method thereof. More particularly, the modular emitter device is of the LED type.
  • a LED is generally an electronic device suitable to generate electromagnetic radiations with different wavelength, and in particular also in the band of visible light.
  • a LED uses the radiative recombination transition of the charge carriers through the energy gap of a semiconductor.
  • the radiation generated by a LED is peculiar to the material used and cannot be in any way traced back to the thermal radiation the material could generate due to its temperature according to the Planck law.
  • the emission efficiency of a LED is generally higher than the one of a device operating by thermal emission and the spectral distribution of the emitted radiation contains only one relatively narrow wavelength band.
  • the lighting devices of the LED type allow, for the same installed power, a considerable energy saving compared with the incandescent devices and the spectral content of the emitted light can be accurately selected.
  • Patents no. US-A-6274924, US-A-20020057057, US-A-415624, EP-A-0290697 disclose embodiments of photoemittor devices, each of them comprising a single LED mounted on a high thermal conductivity support element to dissipate the generated heat.
  • the LED is protected by a box-shaped case or by means of a plastic material injected into a mould or into a containment seat.
  • a preformed lens whose sizes can be compared with the ones of the LEDs to concentrate the emitted electromagnetic radiations can be added.
  • a limit of these devices lies in their reduced power requiring the use of various single parallel devices or of additional elements such as reflecting surfaces or converging lenses that are properly sized in order to direct the emitted light energy to a spot beam.
  • Each modular device is made of one or more LEDs installed on a high thermal conductivity support element and protected by a case having at least one transparent portion to the emitted light and from which only the electric contacts come out, in order to make a compact light source with relatively small sizes.
  • the light source thus obtained is fixed on a base being able to disperse heat and coupled with a concentrator element with optical refraction and/or reflectance features of the light emitted by the LED.
  • a drawback of this solution lies in that the concentrator element is coupled with the modular device by joints, mechanical constraints or bonding agents. Therefore, even in this case the use of additional seals to avoid water or humidity leakages inside the single modular device causing the above-said drawbacks is required. Moreover, possible shocks of the modular devices during the various steps leading to the final products could damage the alignment of the concentrator element or causing its removal.
  • a primary object of the present invention is to remove the above-mentioned drawbacks, manufacturing a simple, solid, shock-resistant LED modular emitter device without losing the optical alignment among its components.
  • a particular object is the manufacturing of a device assuring a high resistance in wet and humid environments with waterproof features allowing its use also when immersed into tanks or aquaria.
  • a further object of the present invention is to carry out a versatile device to be used to assemble lighting and signal lamps of different kind for their type, sizes and complexity.
  • Another general object is the manufacturing of a cost-effective device that keeps its features unchanged in time.
  • Another particular object is the manufacturing of a device assuring high security levels without requiring special and additional arrangements such as expressly designed gaskets.
  • a modular emitter device that can be applied to lamps and the like, comprising at least a source emitting electromagnetic radiations provided with at least one LED and a lens associated to a LED, support and feeding means of the emitting source and an optical concentrator for the same source.
  • the device is characterized in that the support means comprise a covering element making one piece with the optical concentrator.
  • the emitting source and the feeding means are at least partially embedded inside the covering element in order to make the device substantially waterproof.
  • the feeding means are preferably electrically connected to the emitting source by an electric circuit that is entirely embedded into the covering element and comprise at least a couple of electric cables, each of them is provided with an insulating sheath extending at least partially inside the covering element.
  • the support means properly comprise a dispersion element of the heat entirely embedded into the covering element and comprising a thermal conductivity plate upon which the emitting source is placed.
  • the temperature of the emitting source can be kept within a range of pre-set values and allows the same emitting source keeping its features substantially unchanged in time.
  • the device 1 comprises at least an emitting source of electromagnetic radiations provided with at least one LED.
  • the emitting source 2 can be properly formed by at least one partially hollow case wherein one or more LEDs are positioned.
  • the case can comprise a protection lens being transparent to the electromagnetic radiations emitted by the LEDs.
  • the emitting source 2 is mounted on suitable support means 3, comprising a dispersion element 4 of the heat generated by the emitting source 2.
  • the dispersion element 4 can be made of a thermal conductivity plate 5 with a suitable shape.
  • the support means 3 comprise a covering element 6.
  • a peculiar feature of the invention lies in that the covering element 6 is shaped and sized in such a way that the emitting source 2 is at least partially embedded into the same element.
  • the covering element 6 can contain a plurality of emitting sources 2.
  • the electric power allowing the operation of the emitting source 2 is supplied by proper feeding means 7 being also partially embedded into the covering element 6. This particular configuration substantially makes the device 1 waterproof.
  • the device 1 comprises also an optical concentrator 8 obtained in such a way to make one piece with the covering element 6.
  • the feeding means 7 are electrically connected to the emitting source 2 by an electric circuit (not shown in drawings) entirely embedded into the covering element 6.
  • the feeding means 7 can be of different kind and shape and can be made of stiff and/or flexible conductors.
  • the feeding means 7 are formed by at least a couple of electric cables 9.
  • Each electric cable 9 is provided with an insulating sheath 10 to insulate the relevant electric cable 9 and protect it from humidity, liquids and other potentially dangerous agents.
  • each electrical cable 9 at least partially extends inside the covering element 6. This arrangement protects the feeding means 7 from water and other liquids, and in particular the electric cables 9 also in correspondence with their ends.
  • the electric circuit can comprise at least a couple of beam leads (not shown in the drawings) obtained on the plate 5.
  • the beam leads electrically connect the feeding means 7 to at least a couple of projections (not shown in the drawings) coming out of the emitting source 2.
  • the plate 5 is entirely embedded into the covering element 6.
  • the plate 5, the emitting source 2, the couple of beam leads, the electric connections between the emitting source 2 and the couple of beam leads and between the latter and the electric cables 9 are entirely embedded into the covering element 6.
  • the optical concentrator 8 and the covering element 6 are formed with the same material of the polymeric type.
  • the optical concentrator 8 has a substantially flat end surface 11 and a sidewall 12 tapered towards the emitting source 2.
  • the sidewall 12 at least partially reflects the electromagnetic radiations emitted by the emitting source 2 towards the end surface 11.
  • the optical concentrator 8 is a body of revolution whose axis of symmetry L is substantially orthogonal to the end surface 11.
  • the generating line of the body of revolution has a bending apt to concentrate the electromagnetic radiations emitted by the emitting source 2 and direct them in order to form a radiation beam being substantially parallel to the axis of symmetry L.
  • the support means 3 comprise a thermal conductor base 4' upon which at least one dispersion element 4 and the relevant emitting source 2 are placed. The latter and partially also the thermal conductor base 4' are embedded into the covering element 6.
  • the support means 3 can comprise three dispersion elements 4, an emitting source 2 being mounted on each of them.
  • the three dispersion elements 4 can be placed on the thermal conductor base 4' with a triangular setup.
  • the covering element 6 protects from the contact with air, water or other liquids that could damage the correct operation of the device 1 if they are wet or in humid environments.
  • the thermal conductor base 4' is not affected by the presence of liquids therefore it can remain uncovered from the covering element 6.
  • this feature allows the efficient transmission of the heat generated by the one or more emitting sources to the surrounding environments through the thermal conductor base 4'.
  • the device 1 is manufactured according to a method comprising a plurality of subsequent steps.
  • the emitting source 1 is fastened to the support means 3. More particularly, the projections coming out of the emitting source 2 are connected to proper terminals of the beam leads obtained on the plate 5 for instance by soldering points.
  • a second step b) contemplates the connection of the feeding means 7 to the support means 3 in order to obtain an intermediate assembly 14.
  • each electric cable 9 is electrically connected to one of its ends with the beam leads of the plate 5.
  • the intermediate assembly 14 is therefore made of the emitting source 2 mounted on the plate 5 and of an end portion of the cables 9 in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1-5.
  • the intermediate assembly 14 comprises the emitting source 2 mounted on the plate 5, the end portions of the cables 9 and the thermal conductor base 4' on which the plate 5 is positioned.
  • the intermediate assembly 14 comprises three emitting sources 2 with the relevant plates 5 positioned on the thermal conductor base 4'.
  • a third step c) comprises the arrangement of a mould (not shown in the drawings) whose shape is complementary to the optical concentrator and to the covering element 6 to be obtained.
  • the mould comprises a hollow whose sizes are suitable to allow the insertion of the intermediate assembly 14 and a shaped portion whose shape is complementary to the one of the optical concentrator to be obtained.
  • the intermediate assembly 14 is at least partially positioned inside the mould.
  • the intermediate assembly is completely inserted into the mould in order to be completely wrapped by the moulding material during the following step.
  • the intermediate assembly 14 is positioned with a front portion 15 inside the mould and the thermal conductor base 4' partially outside the mould. Thanks to this positioning, the front portion 15 will be entirely embedded into the covering element 6, while the thermal conductor base 4' will be at least partially uncovered.
  • the moulded polymeric material is injected into the mould, in order to fill the hollow and at least partially embed the intermediate assembly 14.
  • the polymeric material can be of the thermoplastic type.
  • a body made in one piece with the covering element 6 and the optical concentrator 8 is thus obtained with one moulding.
  • the device according to the invention reaches the fixed objects and in particular the absence of electric parts in direct contact with the outside makes the device substantially waterproof so that it can be used in humid and wet environments or immersed into tanks of various kinds such as swimming pools and aquaria.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Arrangement Of Elements, Cooling, Sealing, Or The Like Of Lighting Devices (AREA)
  • Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
EP04001125.6A 2003-01-24 2004-01-20 Dispositif émetteur modulaire et son procédé de manufacture Expired - Lifetime EP1443567B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITVI20030011 2003-01-24
IT000011A ITVI20030011A1 (it) 2003-01-24 2003-01-24 Dispositivo emettitore modulare e metodo per la

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1443567A2 true EP1443567A2 (fr) 2004-08-04
EP1443567A3 EP1443567A3 (fr) 2008-12-17
EP1443567B1 EP1443567B1 (fr) 2017-05-17

Family

ID=32652477

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04001125.6A Expired - Lifetime EP1443567B1 (fr) 2003-01-24 2004-01-20 Dispositif émetteur modulaire et son procédé de manufacture

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1443567B1 (fr)
IT (1) ITVI20030011A1 (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1821030A1 (fr) * 2006-02-15 2007-08-22 IDEALED S.r.l. Unipersonale Unité d'éclairage a DEL
EP2317205A1 (fr) * 2009-10-27 2011-05-04 Liang Meng Plastic Share Co. Ltd. Boîtier de source lumineuse à DEL avec connecteur électrique
ITPD20100370A1 (it) * 2010-12-03 2012-06-04 Eral S R L Apparecchio d'illuminazione a led per interni ed esterni, procedimento per la realizzazione di tale apparecchio, e attrezzatura per la realizzazione di tale procedimento
US8251538B2 (en) 2006-06-14 2012-08-28 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Lighting device
CN102042571B (zh) * 2009-10-13 2013-06-05 良盟塑胶股份有限公司 照明装置的导电包覆结构
WO2018009792A1 (fr) 2016-07-08 2018-01-11 Cooper Technologies Company Système lumineux à diode électroluminescente

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002027235A1 (fr) 2000-09-29 2002-04-04 Suncor Stainless, Inc. Dispositif a del super brillant et eclairage de secours
US20020089849A1 (en) 2000-03-09 2002-07-11 Lamke Isidore I. Led lamp assembly

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5211469A (en) * 1989-09-05 1993-05-18 Universal Fiber Optics, Inc. Aquarium lighting system
US5848837A (en) * 1995-08-28 1998-12-15 Stantech Integrally formed linear light strip with light emitting diodes
TW414924B (en) * 1998-05-29 2000-12-11 Rohm Co Ltd Semiconductor device of resin package
JP3585110B2 (ja) * 2000-03-16 2004-11-04 ラボ・スフィア株式会社 発光体
JP2001060724A (ja) * 1999-08-20 2001-03-06 Stanley Electric Co Ltd 拡散発光素子およびその製造方法
US6354714B1 (en) * 2000-04-04 2002-03-12 Michael Rhodes Embedded led lighting system

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20020089849A1 (en) 2000-03-09 2002-07-11 Lamke Isidore I. Led lamp assembly
WO2002027235A1 (fr) 2000-09-29 2002-04-04 Suncor Stainless, Inc. Dispositif a del super brillant et eclairage de secours

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1821030A1 (fr) * 2006-02-15 2007-08-22 IDEALED S.r.l. Unipersonale Unité d'éclairage a DEL
US8251538B2 (en) 2006-06-14 2012-08-28 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Lighting device
CN102042571B (zh) * 2009-10-13 2013-06-05 良盟塑胶股份有限公司 照明装置的导电包覆结构
EP2317205A1 (fr) * 2009-10-27 2011-05-04 Liang Meng Plastic Share Co. Ltd. Boîtier de source lumineuse à DEL avec connecteur électrique
ITPD20100370A1 (it) * 2010-12-03 2012-06-04 Eral S R L Apparecchio d'illuminazione a led per interni ed esterni, procedimento per la realizzazione di tale apparecchio, e attrezzatura per la realizzazione di tale procedimento
WO2018009792A1 (fr) 2016-07-08 2018-01-11 Cooper Technologies Company Système lumineux à diode électroluminescente
EP3482422B1 (fr) * 2016-07-08 2022-11-16 Eaton Intelligent Power Limited Système lumineux à diode électroluminescente

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1443567A3 (fr) 2008-12-17
EP1443567B1 (fr) 2017-05-17
ITVI20030011A1 (it) 2004-07-25

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