Full-color light source unit

• US 6,540,377 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suehiro, Yoshinobu, Takahashi, Yuji, Ota, Koichi, Kaga, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US09/709,313
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 362/800, 362/551, 362/555, 362/558-559, 362/561, 362/227, 362/228, 362/230, 362/231, 315/185.R
• US Class Current: 362/231
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48465 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area being a wedge bond, i.e. ball-to-wedge, regular stitch
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• 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 2924/00014 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

Abstract

A light-emitting system has a base, and LEDs disposed on a front surface of the base. The alignment of the LEDs includes a first group of LEDs each having first and second electrodes on a light-emitting surface side, and a second group of LEDs each having a first electrode on the light-emitting surface side and a second electrode on the base side. The first group of LEDs and the second group of LEDs are arranged alternately in a line on the front surface of the base. The first group of LEDs includes at least one blue LED and green LEDs larger in number than the blue LED. The second group of LEDs includes red LEDs larger in number than the blue LED. A full-color light source unit is provided that includes the first and second groups of LEDS.

Claims

1. A full-color light source unit comprising:

at least one blue LED;

at least one green LED; and

a plurality of red LEDs larger in number than said at least one blue LED,

wherein each of said blue, green and red LEDs is provided as a bare chip.

2. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said LEDs are packed in a package.

3. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of LEDs are classified into a first group of said blue LED and said green LED and a second group of red LEDs, each of said first group of LEDs having first and second electrodes on a light-emitting surface side, each of said second group of LEDs having a first electrode on said light-emitting surface side and a second electrode on a side opposite to said light-emitting surface side, and

said first group of LEDs and said second group of LEDs are arranged alternately in a line on a substrate.

9. A full-color light source comprising:

a full-color light source unit according to claim 1; and

a light mixing portion for mixing light components emitted from said respective LEDs of said full-color light source unit with each other to thereby emit the mixed light.

10. A surface light source comprising:

a light mixing portion according to claim 9; and

a surface light guide portion.

11. A display body comprising:

a surface light source according to claim 10; and

a liquid-crystal display portion.

4. A full-color light source unit comprising:

at least one blue LED;

at least one green LED; and

a plurality of red LEDs larger in number than said at least one blue LED,

wherein said blue, green and red LEDs are arranged with said blue LED disposed as a center of arrangement.

5. A unit according to claim 4, wherein said red LEDs are arranged outside said blue LED, and said green LED is arranged further outside said red LEDs.

6. A unit according to claim 4, wherein all the LEDs except said blue LED are arranged symmetrically with respect to said blue LED disposed as the center of the arrangement.

7. A unit according to claim 4, wherein said red LEDs are arranged on one side and said green LED is arranged on the other side with said blue LED disposed as the center of the arrangement.

8. A full-color light source unit comprising:

at least one blue LED;

at least one green LED; and

a plurality of red LEDs larger in number than said at least one blue LED,

wherein said blue, green and red LEDs are arranged in a straight line.

12. A surface light source comprising:

at least one full-color light source unit comprising;

at least one blue LED;

at least one green LED; and

a plurality of red LEDs larger in number than said at least one blue LED,

a light mixing portion for mixing light emitted from said respective LEDs of said full-color light source unit;

a surface light guide portion; and

a light distributing portion for leading the mixed light from said light mixing portion to said surface light guide portion to thereby make said surface light guide portion emit light substantially uniformly.

13. A light-emitting system comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices mounted on a substrate, wherein

said plurality of light-emitting devices include a first group of light-emitting devices and a second group of light-emitting devices, each of said first group of light-emitting devices having first and second electrodes on a light-emitting surface side, each of said second group of light-emitting devices having a first electrode on said light-emitting surface side and a second electrode on a side opposite to said light-emitting surface side;

and

said first group of light-emitting devices and said second group of light-emitting devices are arranged alternately in a line on said substrate.

14. A light-emitting system according to claim 13, wherein said substrate is provided with individual leads which are formed in regions perpendicular to said light-emitting devices arranged in a line and to which said first electrodes of said light-emitting devices are wire-bonded respectively.

15. A light-emitting system according to claim 13, wherein said substrate is a printed-circuit board in which a plurality of leads to be connected to said first and second electrodes of said respective light-emitting devices are printed on an electrically insulating base by a circuit-printing technique.

16. A light-emitting system according to claim 13, wherein said substrate is a lead frame-structural substrate formed by a technique in which an electrically insulating material is injected into a mold in a condition that a lead frame to be connected to said first and second electrodes of said respective light-emitting devices is arranged in said mold.

17. A light-emitting system according to claim 13, wherein

said first group of light-emitting devices include one blue light-emitting device, and one or more green light-emitting devices; and

said second group of light-emitting devices include two or more red light-emitting devices.

18. A light-emitting system according to claim 13, wherein

said first group of light-emitting devices include two green light-emitting devices, and one blue light-emitting device;

said second group of light-emitting devices include two red light-emitting devices; and

said two red light-emitting devices, said two green light-emitting devices and said one blue light-emitting device are arranged on said substrate in order of one green light-emitting device, one red light-emitting device, one blue light-emitting device, one red light-emitting device and one green light-emitting device.

19. A light-emitting system according to claim 13, wherein said substrate includes a reflection-housing, and a sealing member, said reflection housing having an opening portion provided on a side of mounting of said light-emitting devices and provided so as to surround said light-emitting devices, said sealing member being made of a light-transmissible material for sealing said light-emitting devices and filling said opening portion of said reflection housing.

20. A light-emitting system according to claim 13, wherein said substrate is provided with individual leads which are formed in regions between adjacent ones of said light-emitting devices arranged in a line and to which said first electrodes of said light-emitting devices are wire-bonded respectively.

21. A light-emitting system according to claim 20, wherein each of said individual leads is formed to extend from a front surface of said substrate to a side surface of said substrate.

22. A light-emitting system comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices mounted on a substrate, wherein

said substrate includes a common lead being common to said light-emitting devices, and individual leads being peculiar to said light-emitting devices respectively, said common and individual leads being formed as predetermined patterns on a front surface of an electrically insulating base;

and

each of said common lead and said individual leads has a portion extended to one side surface of said electrically insulating base, wherein

said substrate is a lead frame-structural substrate formed by a technique in which an electrically insulating material is injected into a mold in a condition that a lead frame corresponding to said common and individual leads is arranged in said mold.

23. A light-emitting system comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices mounted on a substrate, wherein

said substrate includes a common lead being common to said light-emitting devices, and individual leads being peculiar to said light-emitting devices respectively, said common and individual leads being formed as predetermined patterns on a front surface of an electrically insulating base;

and

each of said common lead and said individual leads has a portion extended to one side surface of said electrically insulating base, wherein

said front surface of said electrically insulating base has a linear arrangement region in which said light-emitting devices are arranged in a line; and

said individual leads are constituted by “

L”

-shaped leads and linear leads arranged alternately, each of said “

L”

-shaped leads having a bonding lead region extended on said arrangement region, and a connection lead region for connecting said bonding lead region to said extended portion, each of said linear leads being extended from said arrangement region toward said extended portion.

24. A light-emitting system comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices mounted on a substrate, wherein

said light-emitting devices include a first group of light-emitting devices capable of emitting light with a predetermined heating value, and a second group of light-emitting devices capable of emitting light with a heating value smaller than said predetermined heating value;

and

said first group of light-emitting devices and said second group of light-emitting devices are arranged in a line on said substrate so that said first group of light-emitting devices are not adjacent to one another.

25. A light-emitting system according to claim 24, wherein said substrate includes a reflection housing and a sealing member, said reflection housing having an opening portion on a side of mounting of said light-emitting devices so as to surround said light-emitting devices, said sealing member being made of a light-transmissible material for sealing said light-emitting devices and filling said opening portion of said reflection housing.

26. A light-emitting system comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices mounted on a substrate, wherein

said light-emitting devices include a first group of light-emitting devices with a predetermined height, and a second group of light-emitting devices with a height lower than said predetermined height;

and

said first group of light-emitting devices and said second group of light-emitting devices are arranged in a line on said substrate so that said first group of light-emitting devices are not adjacent to one another.

27. A light-emitting system according to claim 26, wherein said substrate includes a reflection housing and a sealing member, said reflection housing having an opening portion on a side of mounting of said light-emitting devices so as to surround said light-emitting devices, said sealing member being made of a light-transmissible material for sealing said light-emitting devices and filling said opening portion of said reflection housing.

28. A full-color light source unit comprising:

at least one blue LED;

at least one green LED; and

a plurality of red LEDs larger in number than said at least one blue LED,

wherein said plurality of blue, green and red LEDs are classified into a first group of said at least one blue LED and said at least one green LED and a second group of said red LEDs, each of said first group of LEDs being capable of emitting light with a predetermined heating value, and each of said second group of LEDs being capable of emitting light with a heating value smaller than said predetermined heating value, and

wherein said first group of LEDs and said second group of LEDs are arranged in a line on a substrate so that said first group of LEDs are not adjacent to one another.

29. A full-color light source unit comprising:

at least one blue LED;

at least one green LED; and

a plurality of red LEDs larger in number than said at least one blue LED,

wherein said plurality of blue, green and red LEDs are classified into a first group of said at least one blue LED and said at least one green LED and a second group of said red LEDs, each of said first group of LEDs has a predetermined height, and each of said second group of LEDs has a height higher than said predetermined height, and

wherein said first group of LEDs and said second group of LEDs are arranged in a line on a substrate so that said first group of LEDs are not adjacent to one another.

30. A fill-color light source unit comprising:

at least one blue LED;

at least one green LED;

a plurality of red LEDs larger in number than said at least one blue LED; and

a plurality of green LEDs larger in number than said at least one blue LED.