Multi-lens light emitting diode

• US 20060034082A1
• Filed: 10/05/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Park, Young Sam, Kim, Hyung Suk, Jeong, Young June, Hahm, Hun Joo, Park, Jung Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 7,153,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/268
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/54 having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-lens LED. The LED has multiple lenses and an intermediate layer interposed between the multiple lenses in order to radiate light emitted from an LED chip in a desired direction and/or beam angle without using a complicated lens configuration. The first lens is centered behind the LED chip when seen in the propagation direction of light, the second lens has a concave structure and surrounds the first lens, and the intermediate layer is interposed between the first and second lenses, so that light emitted from the LED chip can be radiated in a wide beam angle. When provided in the form of a hemisphere, the multi-lens LED can be attached to a wall or a ceiling in use for interior lighting. On the other hand, when provided in the form of a cylinder, the multi-lens LED of the invention can be applied in arrays to be used as a light source of an LCD backlight apparatus.

Claims

1. A multi-lens Light Emitting Diode (LED) comprising:

a board;

an LED chip mounted on the board;

a substantially hemispherical first lens placed on the board surrounding the LED chip to direct light emitted from the LED chip in the range of a predetermined beam angle;

a substantially hemispherical second lens placed around the first lens at a predetermined space, and having a configuration corresponding to that of the first lens; and

an intermediate layer interposed between the first and second lenses, and made of a material showing significant refractivity difference from those of the first and second lenses.

2. The multi-lens LED according to claim 1, wherein the first lens is smaller than a hemisphere, and the second lens is a concave lens.

3. The multi-lens LED according to claim 1, wherein the first lens is larger than a hemisphere, and the second lens is a convex lens.

4. The multi-lens LED according to claim 1, wherein the first and second lenses are made of a resin having a refractivity of about at least 1.5, and the intermediate layer is formed of air.

5. The multi-lens LED according to claim 1, further comprising a transparent elastic body tightly contacting an inner surface of the first lens while sealing the LED chip, the transparent elastic body having a refractivity substantially the same as that of the first lens.

6. The multi-lens LED according to claim 1, wherein the first lens has an outer surface including a number of faces, each of the faces being connected with adjacent one of the faces at a predetermined angle.

7. The multi-lens LED according to claim 1, wherein the second lens has inner and outer surfaces, at least one of the inner and outer surfaces including a number of faces, each of the faces being connected with adjacent one of the faces at a predetermined angle.

8. The multi-lens LED according to claim 1, wherein the second lens has an inner surface in close contact with an outer surface of the first lens, and wherein the first lens is made of a transparent material having large refractivity difference from that of the second lens.

9. The multi-lens LED according to claim 1, further comprising at least one substantially hemispherical third lens having a configuration corresponding to that of the second lens, the third lens being placed around the second lens at a predetermined space.

10. A multi-lens Light Emitting Diode (LED) comprising:

a board;

an LED chip mounted within a reflector on the board, the reflector being adapted to spread light in one axial direction while focusing light in another axial direction;

a substantially cylindrical first lens placed on the board surrounding the LED chip on the board along the spreading axial direction to introduce light from the LED chip in a predetermined beam angle;

a substantially cylindrical second lens placed around the first lens at a predetermined space, and having a configuration corresponding to that of the first lens; and

an intermediate layer interposed between the first and second lenses, and made of a material showing significant refractivity difference from those of the first and second lenses.

11. The multi-lens LED according to claim 10, wherein the first lens is smaller than the half of a cylinder, and wherein the second lens is a concave lens.

12. The multi-lens LED according to claim 10, wherein the first lens is larger than the half of a cylinder, and wherein the second lens is a convex lens.

13. The multi-lens LED according to claim 10, wherein the first and second lenses are made of a resin having a refractivity of about at least 1.5, and the intermediate layer is formed of air.

14. The multi-lens LED according to claim 10, further comprising a transparent elastic body tightly contacting an inner surface of the first lens while sealing the LED chip, the transparent elastic body having a refractivity substantially the same as that of the first lens.

15. The multi-lens LED according to claim 10, wherein the first lens has an outer surface including a number of faces, each of the faces being connected with adjacent one of the faces at a predetermined angle.

16. The multi-lens LED according to claim 10, wherein the second lens has inner and outer surfaces, at least one of the inner and outer surfaces including a number of faces, each of the faces being connected with adjacent one of the faces at a predetermined angle.

17. The multi-lens LED according to claim 10, wherein the second lens has an inner surface in close contact with an outer surface of the first lens, and wherein the first lens is made of a transparent material having large refractivity difference from that of the second lens.

18. The multi-lens LED according to claim 10, further comprising at least one substantially cylindrical third lens having a configuration corresponding to that of the second lens, the third lens being placed around the second lens at a predetermined space.