LIGHTING DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120281411A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Mektron Limited (NOK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Mektron Limited (NOK Corporation)
• Inventors: Kajiya, Atsushi, Yoshihara, Hidekazu, Itani, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 8,562,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/249.02
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0129 Thermoplastic polymer, e.g. auto-adhesive layer; Shaping of thermoplastic polymer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0141 Liquid crystal polymer [LCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0014 Shaping of the substrate, e.g. by moulding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4652 Adding a circuit layer by laminating a metal foil or a preformed metal foil pattern H05K3/4647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1043 Subsequent to assembly

Abstract

A lighting device which can illuminate a large range with a simple configuration, and in which the LEDs or the mounting portions thereof are not likely to be damaged even when vibrations occur as a light source device which uses an LED as a light source, and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The present invention includes a deformable flexible circuit board having an insulating film made of thermoplastic resin, a wiring layer formed on the insulating film, and an insulating layer formed on the wiring layer and made of thermoplastic resin, and in which a bent portion with a curvature radius “R” (mm) is formed at at least one position, and a plurality of LEDs mounted on the flexible circuit board.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a deformable flexible circuit board having an insulating film made of thermoplastic resin, a wiring layer formed on the insulating film, and an insulating layer formed on the wiring layer and made of thermoplastic resin, and in which a bent portion with a curvature radius “

R”

(mm) is formed at at least one position; and

a plurality of LEDs mounted on the flexible circuit board.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the curvature radius “

R”

(mm) is 0.3 mm or more, and the flexible circuit board is configured to be deformable while maintaining the curvature radius “

R”

(mm).

3. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein connecting means connected to a driving circuit that supplies power to the LEDs is provided at both ends of the flexible circuit board.

4. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the connecting means is male and female crimp contacts.

5. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin is liquid-crystal polymer.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit board is at least partially transparent.

7. A method for manufacturing a lighting device including:

a deformable flexible circuit board having an insulating film made of thermoplastic resin, a wiring layer formed on the insulating film, and an insulating layer formed on the wiring layer and made of thermoplastic resin, and in which a bent portion with a curvature radius “

R”

(mm) is formed at at least one position; and

a plurality of LEDs mounted on the flexible circuit board, the method comprising;

a first step of bending the flexible circuit board on which the LEDs are mounted by a molding apparatus, and thereby forming the bent portion with the curvature radius “

R”

(mm) in the flexible circuit board; and

a second step of heating at least the bent portion in the flexible circuit board in which the bent portion with the curvature radius “

R”

(mm) is formed.

8. The method for manufacturing a lighting device according to claim 7, wherein, in the first step, the bent portion with the curvature radius “

R”

(mm) is formed in a plurality of numbers in the flexible circuit board by pressing the molding apparatus against the flexible circuit board from a thickness direction with a tension being applied to both ends of the flexible circuit board.

9. The method for manufacturing a lighting device according to claim 7, wherein the first step and the second step are performed by using the molding apparatus where a rubber-like elastic member is provided in a contact region with the flexible circuit board in the first step and the second step.

10. The method for manufacturing a lighting device according to claim 7, wherein the thermoplastic resin is liquid-crystal polymer, and in the second step,

a heating temperature is a temperature by which the flexible circuit board has a surface temperature of 150°

C. or more and less than a thermal deformation starting temperature of the liquid-crystal polymer, and

a heating time is 1 hour or less.

11. The method for manufacturing a lighting device according to claim 7, wherein the curvature radius “

R”

(mm) is 0.3 mm or more, and the flexible circuit board is configured to be deformable while maintaining the curvature radius “

R”

(mm).

12. The method for manufacturing a lighting device according to claim 7, wherein connecting means connected to a driving circuit that supplies power to the LEDs is provided at both ends of the flexible circuit board.

13. The method for manufacturing a lighting device according to claim 12, wherein the connecting means is male and female crimp contacts.

14. The method for manufacturing a lighting device according to claim 7, wherein the thermoplastic resin is liquid-crystal polymer.

15. The method for manufacturing a lighting device according to claim 7, wherein the flexible circuit board is at least partially transparent.