Method of molding a transparent coating member for light-emitting diodes

• US 6,623,670 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2001
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asahi Rubber Inc., Sanken Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Asahi Rubber Inc., Sanken Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Takagi, Kazuhisa, Odaki, Tsutomu, Ichikawa, Akira, Tasaki, Masutsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Heitbrink, Jill L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fontaine, Monica A
• Application Number:
  US09/860,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20020030292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 264/21, 264/39, 264/219, 264/2.5, 264/1.31, 250/466.1
• US Class Current: 264/2.5
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/505 characterised by the shape, e.g. plate or foil
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/507 the elements being in intimate contact with parts other than the semiconductor body or integrated with parts other than the semiconductor body

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of producing a molded transparent covering member. The steps of the method comprise providing a silicon rubber material and a fluorescent substance together to form a material to be molded in a space between an inner surface of an upper mold and an outer surface of a lower mold; sand-blasting at least one of the inner surface of said upper mold and the outer surface of the lower mold; and injecting the material into the space formed between upper mold and the lower mold.

Claims

1. A method of producing a molded covering member for a light emitting diode, comprising the steps of:

sand-blasting at least one surface of an upper mold and a lower mold to reduce a light variation on a surface of a to-be-molded covering member when the covering member is disposed on the light emitting diode;

providing the upper mold and the lower mold adjacent to each other so that a space is formed therebetween; and

injecting a silicon rubber material and a fluorescent substance into the space formed between the upper mold and the lower mold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of sand-blasting includes sand-blasting an inner surface of the upper mold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of sand-blasting includes sand-blasting an outer surface of the lower mold.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of sand-blasting includes sand-blasting an inner surface of the upper mold and an outer surface of the lower mold.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of sand-blasting step is performed with sand blasting materials of #100 level.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of injecting further includes injecting a light diffusion substance.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the light diffusion substance includes calcium carbonate.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fluorescent substance includes a YAG fluophor.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of providing includes the space being a cap shaped space of substantially uniform thickness.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of providing includes the space being a flat shaped space having substantially a uniform thickness.

11. A method of producing a molded covering member for a light emitting diode as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of providing the upper mold and the lower mold includes providing a uniform thickness space therebetween.

12. A method of producing a molded covering member for a light emitting diode as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a projection on the lower mold so that an external shape of the projection is substantially similar to an outer surface of the light emitting diode.

13. A method of producing a molded covering member for a light emitting diode as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a plurality of projections on at least one of the upper mold and the lower mold.

14. A method of producing a molded covering member for a light emitting diode as defined in claim 1, further comprising providing a first set of projections on the lower mold and providing a second set of projections on the upper mold so that a size of the first set of projections is different from the second set of projections.

15. A method of producing a molded covering member for a light emitting diode, comprising the steps of:

sand-blasting at least one of an inner surface of an upper mold and an outer surface of a lower mold to reduce a light variation on a surface of a to-be-molded covering member when the covering member is disposed on the light emitting diode, wherein the inner surface and the outer surface when disposed adjacent to each other during a molding process form a space therebetween corresponding to a shape of the to-be-molded covering member;

providing a rubber material and a fluorescent substance together to form a material for the molded covering member to be injected in the space;

injecting the material to the space formed between upper mold and the lower mold; and

removing the molded covering member from the upper and lower molds.