LED lamp for light source and method

• US 7,622,748 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2007
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Yatsuda, Yatsushi, Owada, Ryotaro, Koike, Teruo, Ohno, Masafumi, Kushimoto, Takuya, Futami, Takashi, Ebisutani, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MINH LOAN
• Application Number:
  US11/964,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 257/98, 257/99, 257/100, 257/E33.058, 257/E33.071, 362/459, 362/516
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/141 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/43 characterised by the shape thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• 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 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 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/52 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements

Abstract

Whereas incandescent light bulbs and other similar light sources known in the related art emit light in all directions, LED lamps can emit light in a single direction, and this is manifested in the problem of being unable to achieve light distribution characteristics satisfied by conventional headlamp designs. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, an LED lamp for a light source of a headlamp can include an LED chip in the vicinity of the focus of a projection means and a shielding member covering a portion of the LED chip in a formation allowing a light distribution characteristic suitable for a vehicle front-illumination light to be obtained when light from the LED chip is magnified and projected in an illumination direction by a projection lens or the like constituting the projection means. Accordingly, accurate light distribution characteristics can be obtained in a simple manner by projecting in the illumination direction using the projection lens.

Claims

1. An LED lamp comprising:

a first base unit;

a first LED chip capable of emitting a first light and located in the base unit;

a first shielding member located adjacent a portion of said first LED chip, the first shielding member forming a first window having a first shape such that the first light is emitted from the lamp via the first window of the first shielding member and having a shape defined by the first shape;

a first light distribution characteristic forming structure located adjacent the first shielding member and configured to cause the first light to have a first light distribution characteristic when emitted from the lamp;

a second base unit;

a second LED chip capable of emitting a second light and located in the second base unit;

a second shielding member located adjacent a portion of said second LED chip, the second shielding member forming a second window having a second shape such that the second light is emitted from the lamp via the second window of the second shielding member and having a shape defined by the second shape; and

a second light distribution characteristic forming structure located adjacent the second shielding member and configured to cause the second light to have a second light distribution characteristic when emitted from the lamp,

wherein the first light distribution characteristic is different from the second light distribution characteristic.

2. The LED lamp of claim 1, wherein the LED lamp is a vehicle headlamp.

3. The LED lamp of claim 1, wherein the first light distribution characteristic forming structure is a projection lens.

4. The LED lamp of claim 1, wherein the first light distribution characteristic forming structure is a reflector.

5. The LED lamp of claim 1, wherein a surface of said first shielding member facing towards the first LED chip has a substantially mirrored finish.

6. The LED lamp of claim 1, wherein the first light distribution characteristic is a first magnification, and the second light distribution characteristic is a second magnification, and the first magnification is different from the second magnification.

7. The LED lamp of claim 1, further comprising:

a wavelength conversion material located above the first LED chip,

the first base unit integrally connected with the wavelength conversion material and first shielding member, wherein the first base unit forms an aperture and the shielding member and wavelength conversion material are located within the aperture of the first base unit.

8. The LED lamp of claim 1, further comprising:

an integral one piece lead extending into and from the first base unit; and

a bonding wire directly connected to the one piece lead and to the first LED chip.

9. An LED lamp comprising:

a first base unit;

a first LED chip configured to emit a first light, the first LED chip being located in the first base unit;

a first shielding member located adjacent a portion of said first LED chip, the first shielding member forming a first window having a first shape such that the first light is emitted from the lamp via the first window of the first shielding member and having a shape defined by the first shape;

a first light distribution characteristic forming structure located adjacent the first shielding member and configured to cause the first light to have a first light distribution characteristic when emitted from the lamp;

a second base unit;

a second light source configured to emit a second light, the second light source being located in the second base unit;

a second shielding member located adjacent a portion of said second light source, the second shielding member forming a second window having a second shape such that the second light is emitted from the lamp via the second window of the second shielding member and having a shape defined by the second shape; and

a second light distribution characteristic forming structure located adjacent the second shielding member and configured to cause the second light to have a second light distribution characteristic when emitted from the lamp,

wherein the first light distribution characteristic is different from the second light distribution characteristic.

10. The LED lamp of claim 9, wherein the LED lamp is a vehicle headlamp.

11. The LED lamp of claim 9, wherein the first light distribution characteristic forming structure is a projection lens.

12. The LED lamp of claim 9, wherein the first light distribution characteristic forming structure is a reflector.

13. The LED lamp of claim 9, wherein a surface of said first shielding member facing towards the first LED chip has a substantially mirrored finish.

14. The LED lamp of claim 9, wherein the first light distribution characteristic is a first magnification, and the second light distribution characteristic is a second magnification, and the first magnification is different from the second magnification.

15. The LED lamp of claim 9, further comprising:

a wavelength conversion material located above the first LED chip,

the first base unit integrally connected with the wavelength conversion material and first shielding member, wherein the first base unit forms an aperture and the shielding member and wavelength conversion material are located within the aperture of the first base unit.

16. The LED lamp of claim 9, further comprising:

an integral one piece lead extending into and from the first base unit; and

a bonding wire directly connected to the one piece lead and to the first LED chip.

17. A method for using an LED lamp comprising:

providing a first base unit and a first LED chip located in the first base unit and capable of emitting a first light;

providing a first shielding member located adjacent a portion of said first LED chip, the first shielding member forming a first window having a first shape such that the first light is emitted from the lamp via the first window of the first shielding member and having a shape defined by the first shape;

providing a first light distribution characteristic forming structure located adjacent the first shielding member and configured to cause the first light to have a first light distribution characteristic when emitted from the lamp;

providing a second base unit and a second light source located in the second base unit and configured to emit a second light;

providing a second shielding member located adjacent a portion of said second light source, the second shielding member forming a second window having a second shape such that the second light is emitted from the lamp via the second window of the second shielding member and having a shape defined by the second shape;

providing a second light distribution characteristic forming structure located adjacent the second shielding member and configured to cause the second light to have a second light distribution characteristic when emitted from the lamp, wherein the first light distribution characteristic is different from the second light distribution characteristic;

emitting light from the first base unit and second base unit; and

combining the first light from the first base unit with the second light from the second base unit to provide a light that has a light distribution characteristic that is different from either of the first light distribution characteristic or the second light distribution characteristic alone.

18. The method for using an LED lamp of claim 17, further comprising:

configuring the lamp as a vehicle headlamp.

19. The LED lamp of claim 17, wherein providing the first light distribution characteristic forming structure includes providing a projection lens.

20. The LED lamp of claim 17, wherein providing the first light distribution characteristic forming structure includes providing a reflector.