LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE APPARATUS

• US 20100320483A1
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Citizen Electronics Company Limited, Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd. (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Imai, Sadato, Fukasawa, Koichi, KADOTANI, Norikazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,258,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/88
• 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: F21V 29/76 with essentially identical parallel planar fins or blades, e.g. with comb-like cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/021 Components thermally connected to metal substrates or heat-sinks by insert mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0259 Electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]

Abstract

An LED apparatus includes a base having thermal conductivity, an insulative substrate provided on one surface of the base and including electrodes provided on a surface of the substrate, at least one base-mounting area that is an exposed part of the base, exposed within a pass-through hole provided in the substrate, a plurality of LED elements mounted on the base in the base-mounting area and some of the LED elements in a unit electrically connected to the electrodes in series, a plurality of the units are electrically connected in parallel, and a frame disposed to surround the base-mounting area and configured to form a light-emitting area.

Claims

1. A light-emitting diode apparatus, comprising:

a base including an upper surface, a lower surface opposite the upper surface and a peripheral edge side surface provided between the upper surface and the lower surface and having thermal conductivity;

an insulative substrate including an upper surface provided with electrodes, a lower surface opposite the upper surface and a pass-through hole provided to pass through the upper surface and the lower surface, the lower surface of the insulative substrate being attached to the upper surface of the base;

at least one base-mounting area that is exposed part of the upper surface of the base, exposed within the pass-through hole of the substrate;

a plurality of light-emitting diode elements mounted on the base-mounting area and electrically connected to the electrodes which are provided along opposite sides of the pass-through hole; and

a frame disposed to surround the base-mounting area and configured to form a light-emitting area.

9. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 1, wherein some of the plurality of light-emitting diodes are connected to conductive dummy elements.

11. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base-mounting area has a shape selected among a rectangular shape, a square shape and a circular shape.

13. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting area inside the frame is sealed by a light-transmitting sealing member.

15. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a radiator configured to increase heat-release efficiency is attached to the lower surface of the base.

17. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the plurality of light-emitting diode elements, at least two light-emitting diode elements that are extended in a line between the electrodes that are provided along opposite sides of the pass-through hole, and electrically connected in series as a unit of light-emitting diode elements in series,

wherein a plurality of the units of light-emitting diode elements in series are arranged parallel with each other in a direction perpendicular to the line of the at least two light-emitting diode elements as the unit,

wherein the units are electrically connected to the electrodes in parallel.

2. A light-emitting diode apparatus, comprising:

a base including an upper surface, a lower surface opposite the upper surface and a peripheral edge side surface provided between the upper surface and the lower surface and having thermal conductivity;

an insulative substrate including an upper surface provided with electrodes, a lower surface opposite the upper surface and a plurality of elongate pass-through holes provided parallel with each other to pass through the upper surface and the lower surface, the lower surface of the insulative substrate being attached to the upper surface of the base;

a plurality of base-mounting areas that are exposed parts of the upper surface of the base, exposed within the plurality of pass-through holes of the substrate;

a plurality of light-emitting diode elements mounted on each of the plurality of base-mounting areas;

a frame disposed to surround the plurality of base-mounting areas and configured to form a light-emitting area; and

the plurality of elongate pass-through holes of the substrate being extended parallel with each other with an interval disposed between a pair of the pass-through holes that are juxtaposed to each other,

of the electrodes, one being disposed independently between the pair of the elongate pass-through holes that are juxtaposed to each other and extended in a length direction of the elongate pass-through holes that are parallel with each other.

3. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, of the electrodes, electrodes are disposed at opposite outer sides of the parallel elongate pass-through holes, the opposite outer sides positioned in a width direction perpendicular to the length direction of the parallel elongate pass-through holes,

wherein, of the light-emitting diode elements, at least two light-emitting diode elements that are arranged in the width direction of each of the elongate pass-through holes and electrically connected in series to two electrodes that are disposed at opposite sides of the corresponding elongate pass-through hole, and the at least two light-emitting diode elements are electrically connected in series as a unit of the light-emitting diode elements in series.

4. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the units of the light-emitting diode elements that are electrically connected in series are provided in each of the elongate pass-through holes, and the units are disposed parallel with each other in a length direction of the corresponding elongate pass-through hole and electrically connected in parallel to the two electrodes that are disposed at opposite sides of the corresponding elongate pass-through hole.

5. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, in the unit of the light-emitting diode elements in series, the light-emitting diode elements are directly wired by a metallic thin line.

6. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, of the electrodes, electrodes are disposed at opposite outer sides of the parallel elongate pass-through holes, and the opposite outer sides are positioned in a width direction perpendicular to the length direction of the parallel elongate pass-through holes,

wherein, of the plurality of light-emitting diode elements, at least two of the light-emitting diode elements are lined in the length direction of each of the elongate pass-through holes as a unit of the light-emitting diode elements in series,

wherein a plurality of the units of the light-emitting diode elements are provided in each of the elongate pass-through holes, and the at least two of the light-emitting diode elements in each of the units are electrically in series connected to the two electrodes that are disposed at opposite sides of the each corresponding pass-through hole.

7. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a connection among the plurality of units is made through the electrodes.

8. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a connection among the plurality of light-emitting diode elements in each unit is directed wired by a metallic thin line.

10. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 2, wherein some of the plurality of light-emitting diodes are connected to conductive dummy elements.

12. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the base-mounting areas has a shape selected among an elongate rectangular shape and an elongate circular shape.

14. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light-emitting area inside the frame is sealed by a light-transmitting sealing member.

16. The light-emitting diode apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a radiator configured to increase heat-release efficiency is attached to the lower surface of the base.