Light source unit

• US 8,172,443 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suehiro, Yoshinobu, Tasumi, Koji, Tagata, Kazue
• Primary Examiner(s): Sawhney, Hargobind S
• Application Number:
  US12/385,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20090262517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 362/152, 362242-246, 362/249.01, 362/249.02, 362/326, 362/327, 362/331, 362/332, 362/544, 362/545, 362554-556, 362/558, 362/800, 362/804, 257/81, 257 98-100, 257/33.002, 313/498, 313/500, 313/512, 385/15, 385/34, 385/39, 385/42, 385/50, 385/51, 385/140, 385/141, 385/142, 385/901
• US Class Current: 362/558
• 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 6/0023 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed between the light guide and the light source, or around the light source
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4204 the coupling comprising intermediate optical elements, e.g. lenses, holograms encapsulated active devices H01S5/02208, H01L33/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05573 Single external layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/06102 the bonding areas being at different heights
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/1703 Bump connectors having different sizes, e.g. different diameters, heights or widths
• 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 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/54 having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/56 Materials, e.g. epoxy or silicone resin

Abstract

A light source unit includes a light source portion including a mounting board, a light emitting element mounted on the mounting board, a rectangular solid sealing material for sealing the light emitting element, the sealing material including a first distance between the light emitting element and a top face thereof and a second distance between the light emitting element and a side face thereof, the first distance being greater than the second distance and a phosphor dispersed in the sealing material for radiating a wavelength conversion light by being excited by light emitted from the light emitting element, wherein a first light emitted through the top face of the sealing material is different in emission color from a second light emitted through the side face of the sealing material. The light source unit further includes an optical connection member including a reflection surface for reflecting light emitted from the side face of the sealing material, and a light guiding member including an end face through which light emitted through the top face of the sealing material and light reflected by the reflection surface of the optical connection member are inputted into the light guiding member.

Claims

1. A light source unit, comprising:

a light source portion, comprising;

a mounting board;

a light emitting element mounted on the mounting board;

a rectangular solid sealing material for sealing the light emitting element, the sealing material comprising a first distance between the light emitting element and a top face thereof and a second distance between the light emitting element and a side face thereof, the first distance being greater than the second distance; and

a phosphor dispersed in the sealing material for radiating a wavelength conversion light by being excited by light emitted from the light emitting element,

wherein a first light emitted through the top face of the sealing material is different in emission color from a second light emitted through the side face of the sealing material;

an optical connection member comprising a reflection surface for reflecting light emitted from the side face of the sealing material;

a light guiding member comprising an end face through which light emitted through the top face of the sealing material and light reflected by the reflection surface of the optical connection member are inputted into the light guiding member; and

a space formed between the sealing material and the optical connection member,

wherein the light source portion comprises a plurality of the light emitting elements, the plurality of the light emitting element being arranged in line,

wherein the rectangular solid sealing material has a dimension in a vertical direction longer than a dimension in a width direction,

wherein the optical connection member comprises a pair of the reflection surface formed in the width direction, and

wherein the light guiding member is plate-shaped and a thickness direction thereof corresponds to the width direction.

2. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding member further comprises a light scattering portion for scattering light inputted through the end face.

3. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding member is constructed such that light inputted through the end face is multiply reflected inside the light guiding member.

4. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the optical connection member further comprises a light scattering portion for scattering light inputted through the optical connection member into the light guiding member.

5. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein a relationship:

√

{square root over (2)}≦

a/b is satisfied, where the first distance comprises a and the second distance comprises b.

6. The light source unit according to claim 5, wherein the sealing material comprises glass.

7. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein a relationship:

2≦

a/b is satisfied, where the first distance comprises a and the second distance comprises b.

8. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the rectangular solid sealing material comprises a thermal expansion coefficient that is about two times of a thermal expansion coefficient of the light emitting element.

9. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the reflection surface comprises a reflection film.

10. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the optical connection member comprises an incidence surface comprising a recess to receive the light emitting element and the rectangular solid sealing material, the incidence surface having a hemispheric shape to allow a light emitted from the light emitting element to be inputted perpendicularly to the optical connection member.

11. The light source unit according to claim 2, wherein the optical connection member comprises an output surface through which the first light and the second light, after inputting into the optical connection member, are outputted to the light guiding member, and

wherein the light scattering portion is formed on the output surface.

13. The light source unit according to claim 1,

wherein the optical connection member comprises an incidence surface, and

wherein the incidence surface comprises a lens surface and a conical surface on an outer periphery of the lens surface.

14. The light source unit according to claim 13, wherein the incidence surface is inclined at about 10 degrees or less to an optical axis of the light emitting element.

15. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein a scattering portion of the light guiding member comprises a roughened portion that is formed on a surface of the light guiding member.

16. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the optical connection member comprises a first reflection surface at a lower side, and a second reflection surface formed continuously from a top end of the first reflection surface.

21. The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the mounting board comprises a radiator pattern formed on a back surface and just under the light emitting element.

12. The light source unit according to line 11, wherein the output surface is formed so that a light outputted parallel to a center axis of the light source portion is scattered within about 15 degrees to the center axis.

17. A light source unit, comprising,

a mounting board;

a light emitting element connected to the mounting board;

a rectangular solid sealing material that seals the light emitting element, the rectangular solid sealing material comprising a first distance between the light emitting element and a top face thereof and a second distance between the light emitting element and a side face thereof, the first distance being greater than the second distance; and

a phosphor dispersed in the sealing material;

an optical connection member comprising a reflection surface; and

a light guiding member comprising an end face through which light emitted through a top surface of the sealing material and light reflected by the reflection surface are inputted into the light guidance member,

wherein a relationship;

√

{square root over (2)}≦

a/b is satisfied, where the first distance comprises a and the second distance comprises b,

wherein the light source portion comprises a plurality of the light emitting elements, the plurality of the light emitting element being arranged in line,

wherein the rectangular solid sealing material has a dimension in a vertical direction longer than a dimension in a width direction,

wherein the optical connection member comprises a pair of the reflection surface formed in the width direction, and

wherein the light guiding member is plate-shaped and a thickness direction thereof corresponds to the width direction.

18. The light source unit according to claim 17, wherein the rectangular solid sealing material comprises a thermal expansion coefficient that is about two times of a thermal expansion coefficient of the light emitting element.

19. The light source unit according to claim 17, wherein the optical connection member comprises an incidence surface comprising a recess to receive the light emitting element and the rectangular solid sealing material, the incidence surface having a hemispheric shape to allow a light emitted from the light emitting element to be inputted perpendicularly to the optical connection member.

20. The light source unit according to claim 17, wherein the phosphor is dispersed throughout the sealing material from the light emitting element to the top face and from the light emitting element to the side face.