IMPROVED LIGHTING AND/OR SIGNALLING DEVICE, MORE PARTICULARLY FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE

• US 20190154219A1
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Published: 05/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: ALBOU, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/14 having dimming means
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/02 Use of particular materials as binders, particle coatings or suspension media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/08 containing inorganic luminescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 2/00 Non-electric light sources using luminescence using excitation by radioactivity G21H3/02, H01J65/06, H01J65/08; using excitation by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation H01J65/04; Light sources using electrochemiluminescence
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/141 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0041 relating to wavelength conversion elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/005 relating to encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/08 with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body H01L27/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/18 within the light emitting region
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/24 of the light emitting region, e.g. non-planar junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/502 Wavelength conversion materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/508 having a non-uniform spatial arrangement or non-uniform concentration, e.g. patterned wavelength conversion layer, wavelength conversion layer with a concentration gradient of the wavelength conversion material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/56 Materials, e.g. epoxy or silicone resin

Abstract

A light-emitting module for an automotive vehicle includes a light source including a plurality of electroluminescent rods, and a layer adapted for encapsulating the electroluminescent rods and for converting at least a portion of the light emitted by the rods into a converted light, the layer including a conversion sublayer extending beyond a free end of the electroluminescent rods, the conversion sublayer including a phosphor compound adapted for generating the converted light from the light emitted by the electroluminescent rods, the phosphor compound being in the form of grains, the dimensions of which are provided to prevent the presence of the grains between spaces delimited laterally between the rods, and an encapsulation sublayer in which at least a portion of the electroluminescent rods is embedded.

Claims

1. Light-emitting source, more particularly for an automotive vehicle, the light-emitting source comprising:

a plurality of electroluminescent rods of submillimetre dimensions configured to emit light, and

a coating adapted for encapsulating the electroluminescent rods and for converting at least a portion of the light emitted by the rods into a converted light, the coating comprising;

a coating material in which at least a portion of the electroluminescent rods is embedded, and

a conversion material adapted for generating said converted light from the light emitted by the electroluminescent rods, the conversion material comprising a plurality of phosphor grains, the phosphor grains being located in an area of the coating extending beyond free ends of the electroluminescent rods, and the phosphor grains having dimensions configured to prevent the presence of said phosphor grains between spaces delimited laterally between the electroluminescent rods.

2. Light-emitting source according to claim 1, wherein the electroluminescent rods are embedded in the coating material.

3. Light-emitting source according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the phosphor grains is accumulated in a thickness of the coating which overhangs the free end of the electroluminescent rods.

4. Light-emitting source according to claim 3, wherein said thickness is in contact with the free end of the electroluminescent rods.

5. Light-emitting source according to claim 1, wherein said area of the coating has a thickness of between 10 and 100 μ

m.

6. Light-emitting source according to claim 1, wherein, for at least a portion of the electroluminescent rods, adjacent electromagnetic rods laterally define spaces between them, the grains having a minimum diameter greater than the largest distance of a group of distances between two electroluminescent rods jointly defining one of said spaces.

7. Light-emitting source according to claim 1, wherein the coating material comprises a thermoplastic or thermosetting polymer.

8. Light-emitting source according to claim 7, wherein said coating material comprises a polysiloxane.

9. Light-emitting source according to claim 1, wherein the phosphor grains comprise at least one phosphor compound taken alone or in combination from:

Y3Al5O12;

Ce3+(YAG), (Sr,Ba)2SiO4;

Eu2+, Cax(Si,Al)12(O,N)16;

Eu2+, CaAlSiN3;

Eu2+, Ca2Si5N8;

Eu2+, La2O2S;

Eu3+, (Sr,Ca,Ba,Mg)10(PO4)6Cl2;

Eu2+, BaMgAl10O17;

Eu2+, (Si, Al)6(O,N);

Eu2+, BaMgAl10O17;

Eu2+Mn2+, SrS;

Eu2+, Sr2Si5N8;

Eu2+, SrGa2S4;

Eu2+, and (Y,Gd)3(Al,Ga)5O12;

Ce3+/(Ba,Sr,Ca)Si2O4;

Eu2+.

10. Light-emitting module adapted for emitting light, the light-emitting module comprising a light-emitting device according to claim 1.

11. Light-emitting module according to claim 10, also comprising a substrate from which the electroluminescent rods extend.

12. Light-emitting module according to claim 10, also comprising a control module adapted for controlling the supply of electric power to the electroluminescent rods.

13. Light-emitting module according to claim 10, also comprising shaping optics arranged for receiving the light emitted by the light-emitting module in order to form a light beam.

14. Light-emitting device, more particularly for an automotive vehicle, comprising a light-emitting module according to claim 10.

15. Light-emitting device according to claim 14, wherein the light-emitting device also comprises shaping optics adapted for receiving the light par the light-emitting module for forming an output beam of the light-emitting device.

16. Light-emitting device according to claim 14, the device being configured to implement a photometric function, more particularly a regulatory function.

17. Method for producing a light-emitting device according to claim 1, the method comprising:

a step of obtaining the electroluminescent rods,

a formation step during which is formed, on the electroluminescent rods of the light source, a preparation layer intended to form all or part of the coating adapted for encapsulating the electroluminescent rods and for converting at least a portion of the light emitted by the rods into a converted light,

a deformation step during which the preparation layer is deformed so as to fill spaces delimited laterally between the rods, and

a step following the deformation step during which the coating is formed from at least the preparation layer.

18. Light-emitting source according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the phosphor grains is accumulated in a thickness of the coating which overhangs the free end of the electroluminescent rods.

19. Light-emitting source according to claim 2, wherein said area of the coating has a thickness of between 10 and 100 μ

m.

20. Light-emitting source according to claim 2, wherein, for at least a portion of the electroluminescent rods, adjacent electromagnetic rods laterally define spaces between them, the grains having a minimum diameter greater than the largest distance of a group of distances between two electroluminescent rods jointly defining one of said spaces.