Flexible LED lighting element

• US 10,433,393 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2018
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Johannessen, Eric, Todzia, Jonathan, LaSala, Donald, Gambeski, Gannon T., Dunn, Matthew, Sam, Luis
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yang, Amy X
• Application Number:
  US16/231,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20190116642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 284 Days
• Field of Search: 315153, 315209, 315312
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/64 using wavelength conversion means distinct or spaced from the light-generating element, e.g. a remote phosphor layer
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/003 the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/049 Patterns or structured surfaces for diffusing light, e.g. frosted surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/18 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 having LEDs disposed in parallel lines

Abstract

A flexible LED lighting module includes a flexible housing and flexible PCB to which LED units are mounted. An encapsulant fills a channel of the flexible housing and has a same or similar optical refractive index value as is used in the LED unit to hold phosphorous particles used for coloring of the LED. Use of the encapsulant changes the color of the light ultimately emitted from the flexible LED lighting module, and this factor is corrected for in calibration processes associated with the flexible LED lighting module.

Claims

1. A flexible lighting element, comprising:

a flexible channel having a bottom and side walls, the flexible channel being an elongate channel;

a light emitting diode module disposed on the bottom of the elongate channel, the light emitting diode module including a flexible printed circuit board,

a housing coupled to the flexible printed circuit board and having a cavity, and

light emitting diodes mounted in the cavity,

a first encapsulant surrounding the light emitting diode and filling the cavity and a first group of embedded phosphor particles; and

a second encapsulant surrounding light emitting diode module and filling the channel to a level sufficient to encapsulate the light emitting diodes,

wherein the light emitting diode module emits a calibrated light which offsets a color shift caused by the second encapsulant, wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes a single-layer copper trace to which a corresponding light emitting diode is coupled.

2. The flexible lighting element of claim 1, wherein the first and second encapsulants have substantially identical refraction indices.

3. The flexible lighting element of claim 1, wherein the first group of embedded phosphor particles emit light of a first frequency.

4. The flexible lighting element of claim 3, wherein the first group of embedded phosphor particles emit substantially red light.

5. The flexible lighting element of claim 3, further comprising second and third groups of embedded phosphor particles within the first encapsulant.

6. The flexible lighting element of claim 5, wherein the second group of embedded phosphor particles emit light of a second frequency and the third group of embedded phosphor particles emit light of a third frequency.

7. The flexible lighting element of claim 5, further comprising a fourth group of embedded phosphor particles within the second encapsulant.

8. The flexible lighting element of claim 1, further comprising a diffuser covering the housing.

9. The flexible lighting element of claim 1, wherein the refraction indices of the first encapsulant and second encapsulant are selected so as to minimize internal reflection of the light emitting diodes.