Support member and light emitting diode module using the same

• US 20050281050A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Inventors: Chou, Shen-Hong
• Granted Patent: US 7,204,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/612
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133605 including specially adapted reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133608 including particular frames or supporting means
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133611 including means for improving the brightness uniformity
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/54 Arrangements for reducing warping-twist

Abstract

An LED module includes a housing, a support member disposed in the housing and having a lower portion supporting a reflective plate thereabove, and a cone-shaped protrusive portion projecting upwardly from the lower portion to support a diffusing plate thereabove so as to prevent the occurrence of downward bending of the middle portions of the reflective and diffusing plates due to their weights.

Claims

1. An LED module comprising:

a base plate;

at least one LED disposed on the base plate;

at least one support member including a cone-shaped protrusive portion and a lower portion disposed on the base plate;

a reflective plate disposed above the base plate, and having at least one LED hole sleeved around the LED, and at least one support hole sleeved around the support member; and

a diffusing plate disposed above the reflective plate so as to be supported by the cone-shaped protrusive portion, thereby spacing the diffusing plate apart from the reflective plate.

2. The LED module according to claim 1, further comprising a circuit board disposed on said base plate for controlling said LED.

3. The LED module according to claim 2, wherein said circuit board is electrically connected to said at least one LED.

4. The LED module according to claim 1, wherein the surface of said cone-shaped protrusive portion is substantially white.

5. The LED module according to claim 1, wherein said cone-shaped protrusive portion of said support member is transparent or translucent.

6. The LED module according to claim 1, wherein said lower portion and said cone-shaped protrusive portion are formed as a piece.

7. An LED module comprising:

a base plate;

at least one LED disposed on the base plate;

at least one support member including a lower portion disposed on the base plate, a base cone-shaped portion disposed on the lower portion, and a tip cone-shaped portion disposed on the base cone-shaped portion;

a reflective plate disposed on the lower portion by the support member, and having at least one LED hole sleeved substantially around the LED, and at least one support hole sleeved substantially around the base cone-shaped portion;

an auxiliary diffusing plate disposed on the base cone-shaped portion, and including at least one retention hole to allow the tip cone-shaped portion to penetrate therethrough; and

a diffusing plate disposed on the tip cone-shaped portion.

8. The LED module according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary diffusing plate and said diffusing plate are spaced apart from each other by a distance ranging from about 20 mm to 40 mm.

9. The LED module according to claim 7, wherein said base cone-shaped portion has a top area, and said tip cone-shaped portion has a bottom area smaller than the top area.

10. The LED module according to claim 7, further comprising a circuit board disposed on said base plate for controlling said LED.

11. The LED module according to claim 10, wherein said circuit board is electrically connected to said at least one LED.

12. The LED module according to claim 7, wherein the outer surfaces of said base cone-shaped portion and said tip cone-shaped portion are substantially white.

13. The LED module according to claim 7, wherein said base cone-shaped portion and said tip cone-shaped portion are transparent or translucent.

14. The LED module according to claim 7, wherein said lower portion, said base cone-shaped portion and said tip cone-shaped portion are made as a piece.

15. A support member for an LED module, the LED module including a base plate, a reflective plate disposed above the base plate, an auxiliary diffusing plate disposed above the reflective plate, a diffusing plate disposed above the auxiliary diffusing plate, and at least one LED disposed on the base plate and passing through an LED hole of the reflective plate, the support member comprising:

a lower portion, disposed on the base plate for supporting the reflective plate;

a base cone-shaped portion constructed on the lower portion and penetrating a support hole of the reflective plate to support the auxiliary diffusing plate; and

a tip cone-shaped portion constructed on the base cone-shaped portion and penetrating a retention hole of the auxiliary diffusing plate to support the diffusing plate.

16. The support member according to claim 15, wherein the outer surface of said base cone-shaped portion and said tip cone-shaped portion are substantially white.

17. The support member according to claim 15, wherein said base cone-shaped portion and said tip cone-shaped portion are transparent or translucent.

18. The support member according to claim 15, wherein said tip cone-shaped portion has a length ranging from about 20 mm to 40 mm.

19. The support member according to claim 15, wherein said lower portion, said base cone-shaped portion and said tip cone-shaped portion are made as a piece.

20. The support member according to claim 15, wherein the upper area of the lower portion is larger than the bottom area of the base cone-shaped portion and the upper area of the base cone-shaped portion is larger than the bottom area of the tip cone-shaped portion.