LED-array system

• US 7,943,940 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Valster, Adriaan, Boonekamp, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Long
• Application Number:
  US12/599,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20100237365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 257/88, 257/99, 257/100, 257/787
• US Class Current: 257/88
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10541 comprising a light source or a light guide
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/004 Scattering dots or dot-like elements, e.g. microbeads, scattering particles, nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided 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: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]

Abstract

A LED-array system comprises at least one LED package 104 arranged on a substrate 106 provided with means for supplying the LED package 104 with a drive voltage. The LED package 104 is immersed in a supporting layer 112, and the system is characterized in that the at least one LED package 104 comprises a side-emitting LED package, for emission flight essentially parallel to a surface of the substrate 106 and that the system comprises at least one out coupling structure 116 reflecting/scattering the emitted light out of the supporting layer 112.

Claims

1. A LED-array system, comprising at least one side-emitting LED package arranged on a substrate and at least partially encapsulated in a supporting layer, the LED package having a light-emitting face configured to emit light substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate,

means for supplying the LED package with a drive voltage, and

at least one outcoupling structure for reflecting/scattering the emitted light out of the supporting layer,

wherein the light-emitting face and the supporting layer are separated by an air gap therebetween.

2. The LED-array system according to claim 1, further comprising top layer arranged in such a way that it sandwiches said supporting layer between the top layer and the substrate.

3. The LED-array system according to claim 2, wherein the substrate and the top layer are made of glass and the supporting layer is made of PVB or a resin.

4. The LED-array system according to claim 2, wherein the outcoupling structures are arranged on a surface of the top layer, facing the supporting layer.

5. The LED-array system according to claim 1, wherein the outcoupling structures are arranged on a surface of the substrate facing the supporting layer.

6. The LED-array system according to claim 1, wherein the outcoupling structures are screen printed.

7. The LED-array system according to claim 1, wherein the outcoupling structures are selected from the group consisting of:

luminescent ink;

polymer particles containing luminescent dies;

interference pigments;

high index oxides;

colored pigments;

photochromic materials;

particles with closed porosity and combination thereof.

8. The LED-array system according to claim 1, further comprising a transparent cap comprising PMMA, glass, or ceramic material and disposed over the LED package for providing the air gap.