Solid State Illumination Device

• US 20080310158A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Xicato Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xicato, Inc.
• Inventors: Harbers, Gerard, Pugh, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,942,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/240
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/233 specially adapted for generating a spot light distribution, e.g. for substitution of reflector lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/62 using mixing chambers, e.g. housings with reflective walls
• 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: F21K 9/65 specially adapted for changing the characteristics or the distribution of the light, e.g. by adjustment of parts
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/04 intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures F21S8/02 takes precedence; details of ceiling bases F21V21/03
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/08 by movement of the screens or filters
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/02 with provision for adjustment F21V17/04 - F21V17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A solid state illumination device includes a semiconductor light emitter mounted on a base and surrounded by sidewalls, e.g., in a circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular or other appropriate arrangement, to define a chamber. A top element, which may be reflective, may be coupled to the sidewalls to further define the chamber. The light produced by the semiconductor light emitter is emitted through the sidewalls of the chamber. The sidewalls and/or top element may include wavelength converting material, for example, as a plurality of dots on the surfaces. An adjustable wavelength converting element may be used within the chamber, with the adjustable wavelength converting element being configured to adjust the surface area that is exposed to the light emitted by the semiconductor light emitter in the chamber to alter an optical property of the chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one semiconductor light emitter;

a base upon which the at least one semiconductor light emitter is mounted, the base comprising electrical connections for the at least one semiconductor light emitter and a heat spreader thermally coupled to the at least one semiconductor light emitter;

at least one sidewall surrounding the at least one semiconductor light emitter and coupled to the base; and

a reflective top element coupled to the at least one sidewall, wherein the base, the at least one sidewall and the reflective top element define a chamber that contains the at least one semiconductor light emitter, and wherein at least 70% of light that is emitted from the chamber is emitted from the at least one sidewall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a reflective element between the at least one semiconductor light emitter and the at least one sidewall and between a light emitting area of the semiconductor light emitter and the base.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall has a configuration of selected from one of a circular, elliptical, triangular, and rectangular configuration.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall comprises a wavelength converting material.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the wavelength converting material is formed by a plurality of dots on a surface of the at least one sidewall.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the top element comprises a wavelength converting material on the inside of the chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transparent optical material that fills the chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the top element is one of concave to extend into the chamber and convex to extend out of the chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall has a first diameter where the at least one sidewall is coupled to the top element, and a second diameter where the at least one sidewall is coupled to the base, the second diameter is larger than the first diameter.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall comprises an interior portion and an exterior portion, the exterior portion defines a cavity, wherein the base and top element are coupled to different ones of the interior portion and the exterior portion, the interior portion slides into the cavity defined by the exterior portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one reflective element optically coupled to the at least one sidewall on the outside of the chamber and configured to reflect light emitted through the at least one sidewall into a forward direction that is generally orthogonal to normal to a surface of the at least one sidewall.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is one of a reflector lamp and a backlight.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one reflective element is a first light guide and a second light guide, wherein the chamber is between the first light guide and the second light guide.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, the apparatus further comprising an optically diffuse front plate that is optically coupled to the first light guide and the second light guide so that light reflected into a forward direction is diffused by the optically diffuse front plate.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, the apparatus further comprising:

a second at least one semiconductor light emitter;

a second base upon which the second at least one semiconductor light emitter is mounted;

a second at least one sidewall surrounding the second at least one semiconductor light emitter and coupled to the second base; and

a second reflective top element coupled to the second at least one sidewall, wherein the second base, the second at least one sidewall and the second reflective top element define a second chamber that contains the second at least one semiconductor light emitter, and wherein light produced by the second at least one semiconductor light emitter is emitted through the second at least one sidewall;

wherein the at least one reflective element is optically coupled to the second at least one sidewall on the outside of the second chamber and configured to reflect light emitted through the second at least one sidewall into the forward direction that is generally orthogonal to normal to a surface of the second at least one sidewall.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one reflective element is a first light guide and a second light guide coupled to the chamber, wherein the chamber is between the first light guide and the second light guide;

and a third light guide and a fourth light guide coupled to the second chamber, wherein the second chamber is between the third light guide and the fourth light guide.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus further comprising:

an optically translucent housing that encloses the chamber defined by the at least one sidewall; and

a base electrically coupled to the at least one semiconductor light emitter and coupled to the optically translucent housing;

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the base is a first base, the apparatus further comprising a second base coupled to the optically translucent housing and a connector coupled to the first base, wherein the first base is coupled to the optically translucent housing through the connector and the second base.

19. An apparatus comprising:

at least one semiconductor light emitter;

a base upon which the at least one semiconductor light emitter is mounted;

at least one sidewall surrounding the at least one semiconductor light emitter and coupled to the base;

a top element coupled to the at least one sidewall, wherein the base, the at least one sidewall and the top element define a chamber that contains the at least one semiconductor light emitter; and

an adjustable wavelength converting element coupled to the chamber, the adjustable wavelength converting element being configured to adjust a surface area that is exposed to light emitted by the at least one semiconductor light emitter in the chamber to alter a optical properties of the chamber.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an aperture in one of the base and the top element, the adjustable wavelength converting element being configured to adjust the surface area that is exposed to light by adjustably extending into the chamber through the aperture.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the adjustable wavelength converting element comprises a rod and wavelength converting material coupled to the rod.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of apertures in one of the base and the top element, wherein the rod is split into a plurality of ends, each end extending into the chamber through a separate aperture.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the adjustable wavelength converting element comprises a tube with an expandable portion, the expandable portion being positioned within the chamber and being configured to expand and constrict to adjust the surface area that is exposed to light emitted.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the expandable portion expands to lengthen the tube and constricts to shorten the tube.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the expandable portion expands to increase a diameter of the expandable portion of the tube and constricts to decrease the diameter of the expandable portion of the tube.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the adjustable wavelength converting element comprises a wavelength converting material on the top element, wherein the top element and wavelength converting material are configured to adjust a surface area that is exposed to light by being raised or lowered with respect to the semiconductor light emitter.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the adjustable wavelength converting element is manually adjustable.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an actuator coupled to the adjustable wavelength converting element, wherein the actuator adjusts the adjustable wavelength converting element.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the top element is reflective and wherein light produced by the at least one semiconductor light emitter is emitted through the at least one sidewall.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least one of the top element and the at least one sidewall comprises a wavelength converting material.

31. The apparatus of claim 19, the apparatus further comprising:

a base electrically coupled to the at least one semiconductor light emitter;

an optically translucent housing that encloses the chamber defined by the at least one sidewall and adjustable coupled to the base, the adjustable wavelength converting element being coupled to the optically translucent housing, wherein the surface area of the adjustable wavelength converting element that is exposed to light is adjusted when the optically translucent housing is adjusted with respect to the base.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the base is a first base, the apparatus further comprising a second base coupled to the optically translucent housing and a connector coupled to the first base, wherein the first base is coupled to the optically translucent housing through the connector and the second base.

33. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a reflective element optically coupled to the at least one sidewall on the outside of the chamber and configured to reflect light emitted through the at least one sidewall into a forward direction that is generally orthogonal to the direction of the light emitted through the at least one sidewall.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

a base electrically coupled to the at least one semiconductor light emitter;

wherein the reflective element is adjustably coupled to the base, the adjustable wavelength converting element being coupled to the reflective element, wherein the surface area of the adjustable wavelength converting element that is exposed to light is adjusted when the reflective element is adjusted with respect to the base.

35. An apparatus comprising:

at least one semiconductor light emitter;

a base upon which the at least one semiconductor light emitter is mounted, the base comprising electrical connections for the at least one semiconductor light emitter and a heat spreader thermally coupled to the at least one semiconductor light emitter;

at least one sidewall surrounding the at least one semiconductor light emitter and coupled to the base, wherein light produced by the at least one semiconductor light emitter is emitted through the at least one sidewall, the at least one sidewall and the base define a chamber having a diameter and a height, wherein the height to diameter ratio of the chamber is 2 or greater.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the at least one sidewall has a top element edge opposite the portion that is coupled to the base, the top element portion being coupled together.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising:

a reflective element between the at least one semiconductor light emitter and the at least one sidewall and between a light emitting area of the semiconductor light emitter and the base.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the at least one sidewall has a configuration of selected from one of a circular, elliptical, triangular, and rectangular configuration.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the at least one sidewall comprises a wavelength converting material.

40. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the wavelength converting material is formed by a plurality of dots on a surface of the at least one sidewall.

41. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the base comprises a printed circuit board coupled to the at least one semiconductor light emitter and a heat spreader coupled to the printed circuit board.