LED light source with lens

• US 7,126,273 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Sorg, Jörg Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashok
• Application Number:
  US10/854,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20040232825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 313/501, 313/512, 313/498, 362/800
• US Class Current: 313/512
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0041 relating to wavelength conversion elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/486 adapted for surface mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/50 Wavelength conversion elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/505 characterised by the shape, e.g. plate or foil
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/54 having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

The light source has an LED, preferably produced for the surface-mounting technique, embedded in a transparent material filling. A converter substance is integrated in the filling for the at least partial wavelength conversion of the light emitted by the LED. A lens is glued onto the transparent material filling. The material filling has a convex surface and the lens has a concave underside entering into a form fit with the convex surface of the material filling.

Claims

1. An LED light source, comprising:

body having a recess formed therein;

an LED for emitting light of a first wavelength;

a filling;

a converter substance for at least partially converting said light emitted by said LED into light having a second wavelength and mixing said light of said first wavelength and said light of the second wavelength; and

a lens being prefabricated separate from said body and said filling and having a concave underside,

said LED being disposed in said recess and embedded in said filling,

said converter substance being contained in said filling,

said lens being disposed in said recess of said body, and

said filling having a convex surface being brought into a form fit with said concave underside of said lens by bringing said filling into contact with said concave underside of said lens before the filling is finally cured,

wherein said convex surface of said filling and said underside of said lens are formed to have a substantially constant distance from said LED.

2. An LED light source, comprising:

body having a recess formed therein;

an LED for emitting light of a first wavelength;

a filling;

a converter substance for at least partially converting said light emitted by said LED into light having a second wavelength and mixing said light of said first wavelength and said light of the second wavelength; and

a lens being prefabricated separate from said body and said filling and having a concave underside,

said LED being disposed in said recess and embedded in said filling,

said converter substance being contained in said filling,

said lens being disposed in said recess of said body, and

said filling having a convex surface being brought into a form fit with said concave underside of said lens by bringing said filling into contact with said concave underside of said lens before the filling is finally cured,

wherein said LED has an active radiating area and said convex surface of said filling and said underside of said lens are formed at a substantially constant distance from a geometrical center point of said active radiating area of said LED.

3. An LED light source, comprising:

a body having a recess formed therein;

an LED disposed in said recess for emitting light of a first wavelength;

a filling embedding said LED, said filling having a converter substance for at least partially converting the light emitted by said LED into light having a second wavelength, said light of the first wavelength and said light of the second wavelength being mixed; and

a lens in contact with said filling, said lens having a concave underside, whereby an upper side of said filling enters into a form fit with said concave underside of said lens and has a convex surface fox-rued by said underside of said lens,

wherein a distance of said convex surface from said LED is set such that a degree of conversion along an optical path length of light radiation is substantially 50%.

4. An LED light source, comprising:

a body having a recess formed therein;

an LED disposed in said recess for emitting light of a first wavelength;

a filling embedding said LED, said filling having a converter substance for at least partially converting the light emitted by said LED into light having a second wavelength, said light of the first wavelength and said light of the second wavelength being mixed; and

a lens in contact with said filling, said lens having a concave underside, whereby an upper side of said filling enters into a form fit with said concave underside of said lens and has a convex surface formed by said underside of said lens,

wherein said LED has an active radiating area and a distance of said convex surface from a geometrical center point of said active radiating area is set such that a degree of conversion along an optical path length of light radiation is substantially 50%.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a body having a recess formed therein;

an LED disposed in said recess for emitting light of a first wavelength;

a filling embedding said LED and including a converter substance for at least partially converting the light emitted by said LED into light having a second wavelength, said light of the first wavelength and said light of the second wavelength being mixed when they emerge from the filling; and

a lens in contact with said filling, said lens having a concave underside,

wherein said filling is in a fluid state that fills space between said LED and said concave underside of said lens.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a volume of said filling is less than a free volume of said recess with said LED disposed therein.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said convex surface of said filling and said underside of said lens are formed to have a substantially constant distance from said LED.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said LED has an active radiating area and said convex surface of said filling and said underside of said lens are formed at a substantially constant distance from a geometrical center point of said active radiating area of said LED.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said LED is a blue light-emitting LED based on GaN and said converter substance is configured to convert light radiation in a blue spectral range into light radiation in a yellow spectral range.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said LED is a UV-emitting LED and said converter substance converts UV light into a visible spectral range.

11. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said LED is a surface-mounted component.

12. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said filling contains a resin material.

13. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said body contains a thermoplastic material.

14. The apparatus according to claim 5, which further comprises:

a first leadframe carrying said LED at a first electrical contact area thereof;

a second leadframe connected to a second electrical contact area of said LED by a bond wire; and

wherein said basic body is produced by injection molding around said first and second leadframes.

15. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said recess is defined by sloping and reflective side walls.

16. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said filling has a common component extending from the LED to the concave underside of the prefabricated lens.