Moldable nesting frame for light emitting diode array

• US 5,519,596 A
• Filed: 05/16/1995
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lumileds LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Woolverton, Douglas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Application Number:
  US08/442,724
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 362/382, 362/250, 362/249, 362/221, 362/800, 362/419, 362/287, 362/418, 361/637, 361/639, 361/638
• US Class Current: 362/249.01
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/13 the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L33/00
• 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: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A module comprised of a plurality of light emitting diode ("LED") lamps or other light emitting devices and a metal nesting frame with flexible joints between each row of LED bus bars is described. The flexible joint between the rows of LED bus bars allows the module to be assembled flat, which eases its manufacture. After the LED lamps or other light emitting devices have been mounted on the nesting frame, the flexible joints allow the module to be formed to fit within or on a complex three dimensional space. After forming, the metal nesting frame is still rigid enough to support the finished module in the desired shape.

Claims

1. A metal nesting frame for a light emitting module comprising:

a plurality of bus bar pairs, a plurality of light emitting semiconductor devices being mounted on the bus bar pairs; and

a mechanically compressible and expandable joint coupling each of the bus bar pairs together, electrically connecting the light emitting semiconductor devices.

2. A light emitting module for emitting light along an optical axis comprising:

a plurality of light emitting devices;

a metal nesting frame upon which the devices are mounted, the metal nesting frame further comprising bus bars which are mechanically and electrically coupled to the light emitting devices and at least one mechanically compressible and expandable joint electrically coupled to the bus bars.

3. The light emitting module of claim 2 wherein the at least one mechanically compressible and expandable joint allows the module to be bent to fit a three dimensional mounting space, the light from the light emitting devices being aimed along the optical axis.

4. The module of claim 2 wherein the at least one mechanically compressible and expandable joint forms a step between two pairs of bus bars, the step having a height and a width.

5. The module of claim 4 wherein a plurality of mechanically compressible and expandable joints form a plurality of steps, each step having a height and a width, the height and width of each step being independently variable.

6. The module of claim 2 wherein compression of the at least one mechanically compressible and expandable joint decreases the distance between light emitting devices in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis and expansion of the at least one mechanically compressible and expandable joint increases the distance between light emitting devices in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.