ILLUMINATION APPARATUS AND METHODS OF FORMING THE SAME

• US 20090225566A1
• Filed: 03/05/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oree, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Oree, Inc.
• Inventors: Zimmermann, Micha, Meir, Noam
• Application Number:
  US12/398,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225566A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/555
• 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 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0085 Means for removing heat created by the light source from the package heat extraction or cooling elements for semiconductor light sources in general H01L33/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An illumination device includes a waveguide having a recess in a bottom surface thereof. Disposed beneath and in direct contact with the bottom surface of the waveguide is a sub-assembly having a raised profile complementary to the recess, the sub-assembly including a discrete light source disposed on a carrier. The discrete light source is disposed within the recess.

Claims

1. An illumination device comprising:

a waveguide comprising a recess in a bottom surface thereof; and

disposed beneath and in direct contact with the bottom surface of the waveguide, a sub-assembly having a raised profile complementary to the recess, the sub-assembly comprising a discrete light source disposed on a carrier,

wherein the discrete light source is disposed within the recess.

2. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the sub-assembly comprises a cap disposed over the discrete light source.

3. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the sub-assembly comprises:

a substrate; and

a reflector disposed over the substrate,

wherein the reflector is disposed beneath and in direct contact with the bottom surface of the waveguide proximate the recess.

4. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the waveguide is substantially planar.

5. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the discrete light source comprises a bare-die light-emitting diode.

6. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein a sidewall of the carrier is reflective.

7. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the carrier is reflective.

8. The illumination device of claim 7, wherein the top surface of the carrier comprises an inner diffusive region surrounding the discrete light source and a specular region surrounding the inner diffusive region.

9. The illumination device of claim 7, wherein the top surface of the carrier comprises an inner specular region, a diffusive region surrounding the inner specular region, and an outer specular region surrounding the diffusive region.

10. A illumination device comprising:

a waveguide having a substantially planar bottom surface; and

disposed beneath and in direct contact with the bottom surface of the waveguide, a sub-assembly having a substantially planar top surface and a discrete light source disposed on a reflective carrier,

wherein a dimension of the reflective carrier is at least three times a dimension of the discrete light source.

11. The illumination device of claim 10, wherein the top surface of the reflective carrier comprises an inner diffusive region surrounding the discrete light source and a specular region surrounding the inner diffusive region.

12. The illumination device of claim 10, wherein the top surface of the reflective carrier comprises an inner specular region, a diffusive region disposed around the inner specular region, and an outer specular region disposed around the diffusive region.

13. A method of forming an illumination device, the method comprising:

providing a waveguide comprising a recess in a bottom surface thereof;

providing a sub-assembly having a raised profile complementary to the recess, the sub-assembly comprising a discrete light source disposed on a carrier; and

mating the waveguide and the sub-assembly such that the discrete light source is disposed within the recess.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a top surface of the waveguide is substantially planar.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the discrete light source comprises a bare-die light-emitting diode.

16. A plurality of sub-assemblies, each of which comprises:

a plurality of discrete lighting devices disposed over a carrier;

carrier interconnections disposed on the carrier and electrically connected to the discrete lighting devices; and

a substrate disposed beneath the carrier and comprising substrate interconnections disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the carrier interconnections,

wherein the plurality of discrete lighting devices on a first sub-assembly is connected in series, the plurality of discrete lighting devices on a second sub-assembly is connected in parallel, and the carrier interconnections of the first sub-assembly is substantially identical to the carrier interconnections of the second sub-assembly.

17. The plurality of sub-assemblies of claim 16, wherein each sub-assembly is joined to a waveguide.

18. The plurality of sub-assemblies of claim 17, wherein each sub-assembly comprises a contour complementary to a recess in the waveguide to which it is joined.

19. The plurality of sub-assemblies of claim 16, wherein the series connection on the first sub-assembly is defined by the substrate interconnections on the first sub-assembly.

20. The plurality of sub-assemblies of claim 16, wherein the parallel connection on the second sub-assembly is defined by the substrate interconnections on the second sub-assembly.