Lighting device utilizing light active sheet material with integrated light emitting diode, disposed in seam and/or in low profile application

• US 8,754,426 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grote Industries LLC (Grote Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Grote Industries LLC (Grote Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Marx, Martin J., Bozich, Richard C., Robbins, Stanley D., Roberts, James E., Ehlers, Jennifer M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, David S
• Application Number:
  US13/560,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20130026504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 257/88, 257/E27.12, 257/E33.064, 438/27
• US Class Current: 257/88
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0041 of several lamps in relation to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2607 comprising at least two indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/323 on or for doors illuminated exterior door handles B60Q1/2669; illuminated door locks E05B17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/10 Electro- or photo- luminescent surfaces, e.g. signalling by way of electroluminescent strips or panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/20 for lighting specific fittings of passenger or driving compartments; mounted on specific fittings of passenger or driving compartments lighting for dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/217 Doors, e.g. door sills; Steps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/229 Cup holders
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/233 Seats; Arm rests; Head rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/54 Lighting devices embedded in interior trim, e.g. in roof liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/76 for spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps spotlighting on or for specific fittings B60Q3/20; spotlighting in mass transit vehicles B60Q3/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/78 for generating luminous strips, e.g. for marking trim component edges
• 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: F21K 9/65 specially adapted for changing the characteristics or the distribution of the light, e.g. by adjustment of parts
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/24 of ribbon or tape form, e.g. LED tapes
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/19 Attachment of light sources or lamp holders achieving variable light distribution by movable light sources F21S41/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/19 Attachment of light sources or lamp holders
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/255 : Filters
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0008 : Clothing or clothing accessories, e.g. scarfs, gloves or belts
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2106/00 : Interior vehicle lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 : comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2107/90 : on two opposite sides of supports or substrates
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 : Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 : the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0756 : Stacked arrangements of devices
• 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 2924/0002 : Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making

Abstract

A light source includes a substrate arranged into at least two facing surfaces which form a seam therebetween; and a lighting device with light emitting diode (LED) chips embedded therein in a linear arrangement. The LED chips generate light photons. The lighting device has a first edge and a second edge opposite to the first edge, the light photons within the lighting device that are emitted by the LED chips from a top surface of the LED chips being output from the lighting device at the second edge of the device. The lighting device is sandwiched in the seam between the two facing surfaces, the second edge of the lighting device being exposed when the seam is in an opened position.

Claims

1. A light source comprising:

a first substrate arranged into at least two facing surfaces which form a seam therebetween; and

a lighting device that includes a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) chips, and two second substrates that have planar first surfaces that face each other and that sandwich and are electrically connected to the plurality of LED chips, the LED chips are embedded in the lighting device in a linear arrangement by a material that mechanically adheres the LED chips to the second substrates at the planar first surfaces and electrically isolates the LED chips from each other, wherein the plurality of LED chips generates light photons;

the lighting device has a first edge and a second edge opposite to the first edge, the first edge and the second edge have planar second surfaces that face each other, the light photons within the lighting device that are emitted by the plurality of LED chips from a top surface of said LED chips being output from the lighting device at the second edge of the lighting device, the planar second surfaces of the first edge and the second edge are perpendicular to the top surface of said LED chips,

the lighting device is sandwiched in the seam between the two facing surfaces of the first substrate, the seam is in an opened position, and the second edge of the lighting device is exposed within the seam in the opened position.

2. The light source of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two second substrates is an electrically conductive substrate that sandwiches and electrically connects the plurality of LED chips, the light photons being emitted from the plurality of LED chips through the electrically conductive substrate.

3. The light source of claim 1, wherein the first substrate is a fabric material and the lighting device is exposed as piping in the seam in the opened position.

4. The light source of claim 2, further comprising stitches sewn through the electrically conductive substrate of the lighting device and the first substrate, the stitches attach the two facing surfaces of the first substrate to form the seam.

5. The light source of claim 1, wherein the first substrate is arranged to cover an interior surface of a passenger compartment of a conveyance, and the lighting device is disposed to be electrically connected to an electrical wiring harness of the conveyance.

6. The light source of claim 1, wherein the lighting device is a unitary structure of the two second substrates, the plurality of LED chips, and the material that mechanically adheres the LED chips.

7. The light source of claim 1, wherein the second edge of the lighting device has a width of 5 mm or less, wherein light which is output at the second edge provides an appearance of a substantially continuous ribbon of light having a width of 5 mm or less along the second edge.

8. The light source of claim 1, wherein a path of the light photons within the lighting device that are emitted by the plurality of LED chips from the top surface of said LED chips when the lighting device is electrically powered, is redirected from the first edge of the lighting device back through the lighting device to the second edge of the lighting device, the photons which were redirected from the first edge of the lighting device are transmitted in a path through the second edge of the lighting device and then are output from the lighting device at the second edge of the lighting device.

9. The light source of claim 1, wherein

the lighting device is a transparent light active sheet material,

the two second substrates of the transparent light active sheet material comprise top and bottom electrically conductive transparent substrates, a pattern of the plurality of the LED chips sandwiched between the electrically conductive transparent substrates, and the material that adheres the LED chips is a non-conductive transparent adhesive material disposed between the top and bottom electrically conductive transparent substrates and the plurality of LED chips,

the plurality of LED chips are preformed before being patterned in the light active sheet material as an unpackaged discrete semiconductor device having an anode p-junction side and a cathode n-junction side,

wherein either of the anode and the cathode side is in electrical communication with one of the electrically conductive transparent substrates and the other of the anode and the cathode side is in electrical communication with the other of the electrically conductive transparent substrates.

10. The light source of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of LED chips in the lighting device and the second edge is disposed to be separated by a predetermined distance, to provide a predetermined brightness and diffused appearance on the second edge.

11. The light source of claim 1, wherein

the second edge of the lighting device is disposed linearly along and linearly parallel to the seam.

12. A method of making a light source, comprising:

providing a first substrate arranged into at least two facing surfaces which form a seam therebetween;

providing a lighting device that includes a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) chips, and two second substrates that have planar first surfaces that face each other and that sandwich and are electrically connected to the plurality of LED chips, the LED chips are embedded in the lighting device in a linear arrangement by a material that mechanically adheres the LED chips to the second substrates at the planar first surfaces and electrically isolates the LED chips from each other, wherein the plurality of LED chips generates light photons, wherein the lighting device has a first edge and a second edge opposite to the first edge, the first edge and the second edge have planar second surfaces that face each other, the light photons within the lighting device that are emitted by the plurality of the LED chips from a top surface of said LED chips being output from the lighting device at the second edge of the lighting device, the planar second surfaces of the first edge and the second edge are perpendicular to the top surface of said LED chips;

sandwiching the lighting device in the seam between the two facing surfaces of the first substrate;

arranging the seam into an opened position; and

exposing the second edge of the lighting device within the seam, from between the two facing surfaces of the first substrate that form the seam which is in the opened position.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the two second substrates is an electrically conductive substrate that sandwiches and electrically connects the plurality of LED chips,

further comprising electrically powering the lighting device;

and

emitting the light photons from the plurality of LED chips through the electrically conductive substrate.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first substrate is a fabric material and the lighting device s exposed as piping in the seam in the opened position.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising, before arranging the seam into the opened position, sewing stitches through the electrically conductive substrate of the lighting device and the first substrate, the stitches attach the two facing surfaces of the first substrate to form the seam.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising arranging the first substrate to cover an interior surface of a passenger compartment of a conveyance, and disposing the lighting device to be electrically connected to an electrical wiring harness of the conveyance.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the lighting device is a unitary structure of the two second substrates, the plurality of LED chips, and the material that mechanically adheres the LED chips.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the second edge of the lighting device has a width of 5 mm or less, wherein light which is output at the second edge provides an appearance of a substantially continuous ribbon of light having a width of 5 mm or less along the second edge.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein a path of the light photons within the lighting device that are emitted by the plurality of LED chips from the top surface of said LED chips when the lighting device is electrically powered, is redirected from the first edge of the lighting device back through the lighting device to the second edge of the lighting device, the photons which were redirected from the first edge of the lighting device being transmitted in a path through the second edge of the lighting device and then being output from the lighting device at the second edge of the lighting device.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein

the lighting device is a transparent light active sheet material,

the two second substrates of the transparent light active sheet material comprise top and bottom electrically conductive transparent substrates, a pattern of the plurality of LED chips sandwiched between the electrically conductive transparent substrates, and the materail that adheres the LED chips is a non-conductive transparent adhesive material disposed between the top and bottom electrically conductive transparent substrates and the plurality of LED chips,

the plurality of LED chips are preformed before being patterned in the light active sheet material as an unpackaged discrete semiconductor device having an anode p-junction side and a cathode n-junction side,

wherein either of the anode and the cathode side is in electrical communication with one of the electrically conductive transparent substrates and the other of the anode and the cathode side is in electrical communication with the other of the electrically conductive transparent substrates.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein

the second edge of the lighting device is disposed linearly along and linearly parallel to the seam.

22. A light source for use in an interior surface of a passenger compartment of a conveyance, comprising:

a lighting device, the lighting device has a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) chips embedded therein, the lighting device further includes an integrated flexible electronic circuit integrated into the lighting device, the lighting device is configured to be mounted on the interior surface of the conveyance, a profile of the lighting device is less than 1 inch, the lighting device comprises a unitary structure of at least first and second substrates sandwiching the plurality of LED chips,

a third substrate, the third substrate is arranged to cover the lighting device on the interior surface of the passenger compartment of the conveyance, the third substrate which covers the lighting device is a fabric material comprising interwoven conductors electrically connected to the lighting device,

wherein the lighting device is disposed to be electrically connected to an electrical wiring harness of the conveyance.

23. The light source of claim 22, wherein

the lighting device is a transparent light active sheet material,

the first and second substrates in the transparent light active sheet material comprise top and bottom electrically conductive transparent substrates, a pattern of the plurality of LED chips sandwiched between the electrically conductive transparent substrates, and a non-conductive transparent adhesive material disposed between the top and bottom electrically conductive transparent substrates and the plurality of LED chips,

the plurality of LED chips are preformed before being patterned in the light active sheet material as an unpackaged discrete semiconductor device having an anode p-junction side and a cathode n-junction side,

wherein either of the anode and the cathode side is in electrical communication with one of the electrically conductive transparent substrates and the other of the anode and the cathode side is in electrical communication with the other of the electrically conductive transparent substrates.